The 12 Days Til Hallows Eve
by WritingILiveitILoveIt
Summary: Experiences from the three henchman and their master. Review please. If you have the time.
1. Chapter 1

Wanted: Oogie Boogie

Prize: 10 Dollars.

A gust of wind blew the yellowish poster into a dirty puddle. A certain piece of cloth stomped into it. "Yuck!" He yelped. Oogie reached down for it and examined the wet paper. He didn't have time to read. The monster stuffed the paper in a ripple in his cloth on the side. He examined his wet foot. "Just great..." He grumbled. Oogie hobbled to a bench and started to wipe it clean. While he did, he examined the poster. "TEN DOLLARS?" He said angrily. "Stupid, Jack! I'd make a perfect king. But HE ruins all my plans."

Oogie rubbed his chin. A speeding bus skidded across the puddle, splashing the liquid in Oogie's face. "Blegh!"

He turned to see the bus crashing into the wall. It flipped over and skid using it's side. Black smoke pervaded the town's bus stop like a blinding fog. Once the smoke cleared, the door entrance flew towards Oogie. He quickly leaped onto the bench so the flying piece of metal didn't cause any damages. To him, atleast. A peculiar object sprouted out of the entrance of the broken bus. It was a child! A girl, to be exact. She jumped out of the bus and landed perfectly on the ground. She coughed out the smoke lodged in her lungs. She exchanged her hacking for laughter. A great amount of it. It bounced across the walls. She raised her hand to Oogie. "High five, dude!" She smiled.

"Umm..."

"What? I don't bite."

"..."

"Ha! I lied! I'll bite! Just high five, man. I have more caos to cause!"

"High five?"

"Really? How lonely are you? Just slap it!"

Oogie slapped her hand.

"Good. Now see you later." She bolted into the other dirrection. The girl was short and skinny. She wore some black pants and a black long sleeved shirt. She grasped the bus sign, spun around wildly and leaped onto a building. "A new commer." Oogie gasped softly. Only new commers would wear full black clothing. Oogie had an idea. An evil, mad, brilliant idea. A mischievious smile spread upon his cloth face. A worm slid out and he sucked it back in. "Hey, kid!" He shouted, running in the dirrection of the little girl.

"Someone called?" A voice asked. He spun around to see the small girl, hanging upside down from a tree with a grin.

"How'd you like to stay young and wild?" Oogie grinned.

"I'd loved to." She said. Oogie opened his eyes. She was gone! He was only blinking but the girl was gone in a flash. Oogie realized that the little one sat on his shoulder.

"Quit doing that!"

"No, thanks. Too fun!"

"Ugh...kids today..." Oogie grumbled, walking as the girl rested on his shoulder.

"Go on about that thing you said, dude." She insisted.

"Wait, tell me about YOUR life."

"I'm - Well, I don't remember.

"Aren't you curious about how you died?"

"NO! I KNOW HOW I DIED! They were too old. And boring! They were cramping my style. So I cut them off."

"You killed them?"

"No! I'm the dead one!"

"Oh."

"Grrrrr...I can't remember!"

"..."

"But I don't care. I'm a prankster. It's in my blood."

"Do you know where you are?"

"No, I'm a quick learner, though. Hey, check out what I found!"

The girl pulled down her sleeve and showed Oogie something on her wrist. It was the clock time. It was printed on her the skin of her wrist and it was counting down. They call it a Life Time. The clock measured the amount of time the person had to escape the Hallowistic Realm. If the didn't escape before the time ran out, they'd be stuck in Halloween Town...Forever! The time could be transferred into another new commer. Or stolen. A boy tackled the girl and they both landed on the cold cement ground. "Give me your time!" He shouted.

"You again?" The girl snapped. "Never!"

She kicked him off yet he grasped the bus sign and leaped back to his original spot. Oogie was impressed. Another boy came behind her and held her arms down. "I'll take that time now." He growled.

"Get a life, creeps!" The girl cried angrily. She elbowed the boy, escaped his grip and held him down when she spun around.

"Why get one? When I can take yours!" He leaped up and pushed her to the ground. Oogie reached down, grasped the back of their black, long sleeved shirts and lifted them up. They were all the size of kittens. They kicked and clawed at eachother. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" He boomed. They all gasped and tried to run.

"Shhhh! I want to show you something." He whispered. "You can trust me."

He trudged behind a building and into an alley. He carried them to Spiral Hill. Eerie music filled the air. Ghost began to sing and float,

Boys and Girls of every age,

Wouldn't you like to see something strange,

Come with us and you will see,

It's our town of Halloween...

The children leaped out of Oogie's grip and onto the gate with smiles of glee. Pumkins sunk into the sharp pricks of the gate. They all leaped each the prick of the gate after each pumkin. They jumped and jumped. And jumped, gasping as the pumkins' faces grew scarier.

This is Halloween!

This Halloween!

Pumkins scream in the dead of night.

This is Halloween!

Everybody make a scene,

Trick or treat 'til the neighbors come and die of fright!

They ran under the fence to get away from the ghost chasing after them. Witches on brooms flew down and the children's shirts got caught on the tip. They fell off and landed in three trashcans. The song had already moved on to different verses.

Something's waiting to pounce and how you'll...

SCREAM!

The children were already swaying. They all fainted to the ground in fear. Oogie quickly grabbed them and stuffed them in a bag. He dragged the bag to Halloween DOWNTOWN. He carefully opened a door that led inside a store. Oogie slammed the bag on a desk. "I want the life story of these kids." He snapped. A one-eyed lady stared back at his eyeholes. She had green skin but some of her body was completely bone. She was one out of the few to live in the downtown area. The lady placed on her glasses very slowly and peeked in the bag. She looked back at Oogie and pointed her boney finger towards him weakly. "I did not expect YOU to even touch a new commer!" Her voice was eerie and high. A witch's voice.

"Oh, come on! Look how cute they are, Helen." He said nervously. She still wasn't convinced. Oogie reached into the bag and pulled out the little girl. She was like a dead kitten. Her arms hung down like noodles as Oogie held her like a doll.

"Umm, hehe. That's not the point!"

He shoved the bag towards the witch.

"Please, Helen! For the hate of Jack Skelington!"

"Jack?" She gasped. Helen grasped Oogie's cloth. "DON'T YOU EVER MENTION THAT NAME!"

"Sorry. Just give me the read on these guys..." He said.

"Grrrrr... if it'll get you out of my store." Helen grumbled. "Your going to have to fill out these papers after a few hours."

"Fine. I want everything on these kids, then." Oogie snapped.

"Fill these papers out." She insisted. He sat down as she examined the bodies.

"You got a really good pick." Helen smiled. "These kids are fantastic!"

"Really? What should I name them?" He asked.

"Hm. I'm not a mother. Figure it out yourself."

He smirked sarcastically and examined the papers.

_What do you want them for?_

_A: Hentchmen._

_Creatures?_

_A: Trick or Treaters. Trick is more like it._

_Genders?_

_A: Two boys and a girl. I think._

_Names?_

_A: Unsure. _

_Wanted Skills?_

_A: Prank masters. Devil-like actions. Witchy cuteness and good looks. Ghost and Ghoul stealth._

_Needed for?_

_A: Personal._

_Trained or Self-training book?_

_A: I can handle three kids! Book please._

_Rules:_

_1. Stay young._

_2. Obey my every command._

_3. Treat me like a king._

_4. Treat Jack Skelington like a monster. Not the good kind._

_5. Worship me! _

_6. Stay wild._

_7. Never come back empty-handed after a mission._

_8. No gross teenage problems or moments. _

_9. Love my cooking. _

_10. NEVER BETRAY ME! _

_Anything else?_

_A: I would like them to forget about their past. And I want them to have mask with their costumes! _

"Hehe, that outta do it." Oogie smirked. He rose from his chair and slammed the papers on Helen's desk. She was examining the girl's hair.

"Which one first?" She asked.

"The girl. I want to know her life. I want to know her story. Her sadness. Her crush. Her family. How she died. And especially! Her weaknesses!" He snapped.

"It'll take a couple hours with all them combined." Helen sighed, setting the girl on the table.

"So be it."

**AN: No friends this time. Simon and I are in a fight. A real fight. :'( And I have a funeral to attend. So yeah. Thanks for reading. Please review. If you have the time.**


	2. Chapter 2

The rapid impatient tapping of Oogie's foot echoed the room. Outside, he could hear the cheering of this year's sucess.

"We did it!"

"It's over!"

"What a scream!"

His foot became louder. He lost himself in a daydream.

_Cheer now, you bafoons! Cheer while you can. Because next year...Oh, just wait and see...my minions will create madness! They'll be perfect. And why stop there! I can rule the entire Hallowistic Realm! I will. Just you wait..._

"Jade Morgan." A voice snapped.

"Huh?"

He opened his eyes to face Helen.

"Her name. Read these reports." She instructed. Three folders.

"How'd you get these so fast?" He asked.

"Well, the process isn't easy. It's in the mortal's newspaper. Their deaths are pretty big. I guess. Wait, I shouldn't be telling you this!"

"I'm the costumer!"

"Fine. It takes ALOT of time traveling."

"How can you time travel?"

"How can you be such an idiot? I'm a witch! I can do anything!"

"So, they're mine?"

"Of course! They're new commers! They're basically garbage!"

"Will people think less of me after this?"

"Not at all."

"What if they leave?"

"Well, it's law that every minion must return to their master so yeah. They won't think of it. Oh, and before I forget! YOU CAN'T BREAK THEM APART! THEIR A PACKAGE DEAL!"

Oogie didn't pay attention. Words repeated in his head.

I'm a master! Me! Heeheeheeheeheeeeee!

"Oh, yeah. A new law has been signed by the king. It's now illegal to take new commers." She sighed, sitting down.

"WHAT!" Oogie gasped angrily.

"Yep." She growled.

"Will I be arrested?" He asked nervously.

"No, as long as you make them sign their lives to you before this hour glass runs out."

Helen handed him a big hour glass. "Starting...now!"

She handed him a new black trick or treating bag with printed orange pumkins. Helen tossed three boxes in the bag as if they were candies. With books. And some other things. "Uhhhh..."

"Now, get out of my store!" Helen said, shoving him outside and slamming the door shut. She shut down the curtains and slapped a sign on the door.

Do Not Disturb Until October 31!

Oogie held the bag in his left hand and the folders under his right arm. He marched into his lair that was located under a big, old tree. It was cold and wet. And dark. He lit a torch and walked deeper until he reached his gambling table. The folders tierred onto his desk. He emptied out the bag and examined the items. A box with bright paper and bow? How peculiar. Oogie ripped the paper to reveal one of the boys. In a devil costume. He turned to the papers. Helen had circled the word 'devil' in the boy's paperwork. "Grrrrr." Oogie grinded his teeth in anger.

"Grrrrr." The boy mimicked. He gasped in amazement and pulled the small boy out the box. He was still the size of a small kitten. Oogie lifted him up from the back of his shirt.

"Amazing!" He laughed.

"Amazing!" The boy mocked.

"Quiet, bratt!"

"Quiet, bratt!

"Grrrrr."

"Grrrrr."

"I'm warning you."

"I'm warning you!"

Oogie slapped the boy and set him on the table.

"Gaze into the face of feeeeaaaar." Oogie growled. The boy stared.

"RAAAAWWWR!" He hissed. The boy gasped in fear and backed away. Oogie glared at the empty box the boy came out of. He stuffed some soft tissues into it and set the small child inside.

"That outta hold ya."

He pulled the tissue to the boy's neck and the boy never spoke a word. He closed his eyes, hoping this would be just a dream. But he didn't realize how tired he was. His eyes became heavy. He drifted off. Oogie smiled and pushed the box to the corner before opening the file. He sipped some Bug Juice and sat on his chair as he examined the file.

Xaivier Johnson:

_"Daddy, can I eat now?" Xaivier asked._

_"No! Your mother will feed you when she comes back." An older man said. Xaivier stared at the window. He hasn't eaten since his mom's last arrival. She's been gone for awhile. His father wasn't all candy canes and lolipops. They stayed in a hotel for about a month now. _

_"I'll be out." His father said, getting up from his seat and placing on his jacket. He slammed the door and locked it, leaving his small son to defend for himself. Xaivier sat in the corner and stared at the wall. He couldn't quite reach the bed. A movie came on and he stared at the TV. Stomach growling, the boy stared at the screen. It did make him feel better. He layed on the floor until he drifted off. Days passed but all he could do was pray and hope. _

_"Maybe, daddy forgot to get me. That's all. Silly daddy. He's probably scared silly. I should walk down and find the silly daddy."_

_Xaivier rose from the floor and marched to the door. He leaped and leaped. No use. He tried and tried again. Each time ending in failure. He stacked the pillows and jumped towards the door knob. The pillows sunk down into nothing but the size of a small stack of flapjacks. Xaivier was too weak to move anything else. A peculiar object caught his eye. A big, yellow book. Two big, yellow books. He heaved with all his might and moved them towards the door. His life depended on it! He leaped up. Odds were against him but—thank the heavens—he grasped the knob._

_"Yes!" He cheered. Xaivier Johnson turned the knob. Xaivier Johnson realized it was locked. And Xaivier Johnson died of hunger. _

"Gee, poor kid. I think he'll get the first taste of my cooking." Oogie smiled. He glanced at the little devil in the box, napping. Oogie opened the next box. A ghoul stared back at him. Of course, Helen circled the word 'ghoul' in the paperwork. He repeated the procedure and tucked him in the box with tissue. He read the paperwork.

Angel Rodgers:

_Angel played with his toys and teddy bears. Not a care in the world. While his played, his parents talked in the kitchen._

_"We should pay the light bill first." The father whispered to his wife so his son couldn't hear him._

_"No, the water bill." The mother replied._

_"We have no choice, Victoria." He said. _

_"What are you saying?" She asked._

_"We need to ask for a loan." _

_"I don't like dealing with bank people."_

_"Especially 'round these parts."_

_"Are you sure about the risk?"_

_"As long as Angel is safe."_

_They nodded in agreement. Months passed and Angel's happiness remained. The bills were paid and food was on the table. Everything was perfect. Except for one day. Angel layed on floor, eating cereal and watching cartoons. "Micheal, they're here." The mother annouced in a whisper._

_"Don't worry. I'll handle it." The father said. He kissed his wife softly and walked outside. A man had his hands in his pockets. They chatted. Angel rose and glanced out the window. A stranger held a gun and aimed it at his father's chest. "Angel, don't look." His mother whispered._

_Outside, they chatted quietly._

_"I'm going to shoot one bullet. Where it lands, it lands. Then, I'll leave." The man whispered. _

_"So be it."_

_The man loaded the gun but Micheal didn't move. He excepted the punishment. Angel stared from inside. _

_"Look, mommy! Daddy is playing cowboy! I'll save him!" He exclaimed._

_"NO!" His mother cried. But it was too late. Angel bolted outside and leaped into his father's arms. BANG! The bullet was shot. Tears streamed down his father's eyes. He gripped the back of his son's head. The man quickly drove away. It was true. The bullet was aimed for Micheal's chest. But his shield was something he loved. "Don't worry, daddy. I'll protect you." Angel whispered. "I'll protect y - you."_

_He drifted off to the dead world. Angel Rodgers. A true guardian angel. _

"Kinda sad." Oogie shrugged. He moved on to the next file and the next box. Helen had circled the word 'witch'. He opened the box to reveal the small girl as a witch. She was still asleep. He glanced at her file.

Jade Morgan:

_Jade was a normal girl. Perfect life. Perfect parents. Until one day._

_"Can you pick us up?" Jade's sister asked her mom on the phone._

_"Not now. Just wait." _

_"Why?"_

_"I'm working."_

_"But I'm with Jade! I can't hang out with my friends."_

_"Geez, Jade it isn't the end of the world."_

_"Yet,"_

_"Just wait."_

_"But, mom!"_

_"Megan!"_

_"Mom, I'm serious!"_

_"I thought your name was Megan."_

_"Mom, I'm wasted all my allowance on this movie. I've got to watch it!"_

_"Just take Jade with you."_

_"I can't. I don't have enough money."_

_"Well, sorry. You can't go without Jade."_

_"Fine."_

_"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."_

_"Okay."_

_"Bye."_

_"Bye."_

_Megan hung up and stared at her little sister._

_"Jade, you wouldn't tell mom if I went to go see the movie, would you?" She asked._

_"No."_

_"Good. Just stay there and don't move 'til I get back."_

_"Okay."_

_Megan zoomed away and into the movie theater. Jade spun around to face her friend._

_"Hey, I have a great prank! Wanna join?" Peter insisted._

_"Of course!" She exclaimed._

_"Follow me."_

_Jade followed her friend to the Food Court of the mall. They hid behind the stage. A teenage band was preparing for a new song. "Shhhh! We're going to pull a prank on my brother." He whispered. They crept behind the curtain and next to a speaker. Peter's brother, Jerry, tested the microphone. _

_"Hey, Jerry. Move the speaker over here." A friend urged. Jerry nodded and lifted up the speaker slowly. Peter pulled Jade off stage but his fingers slipped and he crashed into a lady. Her shopping bag flew into the air. Inside, were new kitchen knives which landed into Jade's chest. "AH!" She yelped. Though blood leaked from her chest, she didn't scream. She only quivered. Jade fell off stage and landed on her back. She was in shock. Jerry lifted up the speaker and gasped as his glance fell upon Jade's mangled body. He dropped the speaker in fear. The giant object bounced off stage and landed on Jade. The only thing the witnesses could remember was her shocked face._

"Wow, umm...no comment."

Oogie lifted up the sleeping girl from the back of her shirt and set her on her feet. She stood weakly due to her sleep debrived slumber.

"Okay, umm...I can't call her by her real name or she'll remember." He thought outloud. "Names? Names? Hmm, killer? No. Hunter? No. Attack? No. A cool girl's name. Something evil yet original."

The girl was half asleep. She swayed until she fell to her side. Oogie quickly caught her and she rested her head on his hand. He lifted her up and stood her up straight. He pulled the boys out and they leaned over the witch. "Wait! I've got it! Killer, Attack and Hunter! No. That won't do." He sighed. Oogie quickly glanced at the paper work.

_Xaivier Johnson died because he was locked in a room with no food for a long time. Angel Rodgers died due to a gun and his constant imangination. And Jade Morgan died because of a prank gone wrong. They're all connected. But how? How? Names that match. Anything? Something! A locked room. A gun. A knife. Wait! That's it. Lock and Barrel! But what to name the girl? Knife? No. I feel like I read this before. Lock, stock and barrel! Perfect! _

"BRILLIANT!" He exclaimed. He stared at them. Oogie slapped their faces, awakening them from their slumber.

"Huh?" They yawned.

"I found out your names! It took a long time of thinking. It was really hard."

"Wow, shocking." The girl said sarcastically, rubbing her eyes. A mischievious smirk spread upon his cloth face.

"The boy in red is Lock. The boy in green is Barrel. And the girl in purple is Shock." He annouced.

"Hm, I love it!" They exclaimed in unision.

"Shock?" She asked.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Wow." She smiled. "It feels so good to hear my name. Shock."

Shock stared at her feet shyly.

"Do you know your powers?" Oogie asked.

"Powers?" They asked in unision.

"Yes." He sighed.

"Flying?" Barrel guessed.

"Smarts?" Lock shrugged.

"Powers?" Shock said jokingly. They all giggled at her joke. Their laughter was infectous. Oogie slammed his fist on the table. The children gasped and stepped back in line.

"Ugh!" Oogie said. "This is going to take some epic training music."

**AN: Sorry, if you didn't like it. Training plus music equals Training Montage! Review and tell me what you think. It will be written in different lessons. I'm sorry if the lateness but I'm in UIL and we have a competition THIS saturday. And I'm studying for my benchmarks. So, yeah. Thanks for reading. I do not own any of the NMBC characters. ON TO THE NEXT CHAPTER! **


	3. Chapter 3

Oogie placed a CD in his radio. Music escaped the speakers. He led them to the woods. Far away from Halloween Town. The kids even had to pack clothes. Not really. Oogie just stuffed them in the same bag and dragged them all away. "WHERE ARE WE GOING!" Barrel cried.

"This girl took my mask!" Lock whinned.

"Did not!" Shock shot back.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Are we there yet?" Barrel asked.

"Grrrrr...ENOUGH!" Oogie boomed. They all shut their mouths and not even one minute later, Oogie poured them out. "Training starts now."

He slapped the Halloween theme song CD into his radio and music played.

"Okay, you're a witch. Witches like cats. Or something. They use cats as spies. Yeah! That's the ticket." He annouced. Oogie set a kitty next to Shock. They were litterally the same size. She stared at it. It stared back at her. Oogie moved on to Lock. "You're the devil. So...I guess you need to learn...Hmm. Um, I guess you need to learn how to handle weapons."

He handed Lock a bag of weapons. Lock searched inside as Oogie moved to Barrel.

"I heard ghouls can sommon animals. So try to call an animal." He urged. He sat in a giant stone and watched. Shock screamed as the fluffy kitten pounced on her and purred.

"IT'S TOUCHING ME!" She shrieked.

"I'M BLIND!" Lock screeched when a red plunger stuck onto his face.

"Look! The puppy likes me." Barrel cooed as a large bulldog bit into his leg and dragged him away.

"I should've gotten them trained." Oogie sighed. He opened the book and stared upon Chapter One, Disapline. He rose and grasped them all.

"Listen up! I am The Boogie Man! You shall listen to me and me only." He annouced.

"Yes, m'am!" Shock grinned.

"A jokester, eh?" Oogie cocked an eyebrow.

"You better believe it Oogie Boogie." She smirked. He pulled back his lips and hissed loudly. He was terrifying! The darkness behind the cloth shot fear into her heart.

"I - I'm S - sorry." She cried. "I'm sorry. Oogie Boogie!"

"MISTER Oogie Boogie." Oogie corrected.

"Y - yes, sir. Mister Oogie Boogie sir."

"That's not my name!"

"MISTER OOGIE BOOGIE MAN!"

"Good."

Lock couldn't help but snicker.

"Oh, you think it's funny, do you?" Oogie growled, walking away from Shock. She fainted in fear but Barrel caught her. He dragged her to a rock and poured water on her face. He wasn't being nice. Barrel just wanted to pour cold water on Shock's head. Oogie crept next to Lock. He was the size of a glass of water compared to his master. Lock returned a smirk. To wipe the look of his face, Oogie lifted him up and shoved him in his mouth. "LOCK!" The remaining children gasped. Shock shot up and swung her fist at Oogie but her master pushed her away with ease. Barrel quickly grasped a pitchfork and pressed the blade against Oogie's thin stomach. "Don't. Swallow." He threatened. Oogie glared at the brave boy and grinned evilly. He excepted the challenge and reached into his mouth to pull Lock out. "Uh-oh. I seem to have lost your friend." Oogie grinned.

"NO!" Shock cried. Barrel rubbed his chin. He ran to the girl wearing purple.

"You need to jump in and grab him." He whispered in her ear.

"No way! I never liked that boy, anyways." She grumbled, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Shock," He said softly, placing his small hand on her shoulder. "Please."

"Grrrrr...I'm a sucker for green eyes." Shock sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

"I'll give you a boost."

"Wait!"

She grasped a rope and tied it on tightly to her waist. Barrel locked his hands together and she hopped on. She leaped up and dived into Oogie's mouth. Lock swam in a pool of green liquid. Oogie's insides were made of some kind of creepy rocks. "Give me your hand." She insisted. He leaped up to grasp her hand. No use. It was just like how he died. Shock untied the rope and ran to Lock. Instead, she sunk in the green liquid. It was like oatmeal. Lock pushed with all his might and zoomed to the rope. "Help!" Shock pleaded. "Please!"

"I'm only looking out for number one!" He grinned. Lock tied the rope around himself.

"Please!" She cried. He glanced at her pleading lavender eyes. "Please."

Something in his stomach made him groan. He throat burned. Shock sunk up to her hair. Then, her chin. Then, the top of her head. Lock stuck his hand in what seemed to be like green oatmeal and yanked her out. He pulled her close and Barrel heaved them out. They splattered across the floor. "We made it!" They exclaimed. They all hugged, squishing Shock in the middle of their bear hug. They nervously scattered away. Oogie started to clap sarcastically. "Well, done. Any more jokes?"

"No, sir!" They all shouted in unision.

"Good, boys." Oogie patted each one on their head.

Montage Moments! :

Shock loaded her arrows and pulled back the string of her bow. It shot straight up into the sky. Oogie sighed and slapped his head with the palm of his hand. He handed a cat to Shock. She screamed as if crawled onto her. "IT'S TONGUE IS HURTING ME!" She cried. "IT'S ITCHY!"

Lock waved his tail around. It seemed to be fuctioning properly. He leaped up and latched it across a wire. "Here we go!" His tail slid off and he fell into an endless trench. Oogie quickly grasped Lock's tail and yanked him up. "Let's do that again!" He exclaimed.

"Don't even think about it!" Oogie snapped.

"Okay, try to the pitchfork!" He insisted, pointing to Barrel. He lifted it up and swung around. He stumbled backwards due to the amount of weight the pitchfork. The object landed on Barrel and he struggled to climb to his feet. "Lift it up!" Oogie snapped. With a loud groan, Barrel pushed. It didn't even budge!

Oogie pointed to a giant pair of stairs. "Climb, my minions." He said to his minions.

"I prefer the phrase hentchmen." Shock folded her arms across her chest. Oogie narrowed his eyes at her and threw her up the stairs. The boys gasped. "I'm okay! I'm going to beat you, too! Thanks for the boost, Mister Oogie Boogie Man!" She grinned. Shock climbed the tall stairs but she was too small. She lifted her leg up over the step of the stair and pushed herself over it. "Phew! One!" She sighed. She looked over her shoulder to see the boys climbing the third step so she hurried to the top.

Barrel kept trying to push the pitchfork off himself. Oogie sighed and slapped his head with the palm of his hand.

Shock aimed her arrow towards the target. She pulled back the string and shot the arrow right in the middle. "Wrong!" Oogie snapped.

"But, I shot it in the middle! We've been working for hours! When will we stop?" She cried.

"When I see progress." He snapped.

...

Lock tried his scaring. He pulled back his lips and stuck his tongue out. Shock and Barrel burst out laughing. "Ha! He thinks he's scary!" Barrel cried, trying not to laugh to hard. Shock banged her fist on the ground, laughing out loud and rolling on the floor. Oogie covered his mouth but inside, he was snickering. Lock dug his face into the palms of his hands. "I'm doomed." He wailed.

...

"Chapter Seventeen. Teaching Mean." Oogie read outloud. He slammed the book shut and walked up to his hentchmen. "Okay, prank war. Starts...now!"

"Wha -" Lock was interrupted. Shock threw an egg at him.

"HAHAHA! HEY, LOCK, ISN'T THIS...EGGCITING?" She teased.

"Oh, yeah? Take this!" He shot an arrow at Shock. She quickly ducked so the arrow only caught her hat.

"Are you nutts!" She cried.

"Anything goes!" Oogie added, and he hid behind a bush. Shock stared at her slightly ripped hat. She tore it away from the arrow and narrowed her eyes at Lock.

"Nobody touches that hat!" She growled.

...

Barrel tried to lift the pitchfork. It moved up alittle. His costume magically upgraded. A smile spread upon his face.

...

Shock climbed the step. "Phew! Ten!" She sighed.

...

Lock bit down on some fake fangs. He spun around and hissed loudly. "Haha!" They all laughed. Not that much, though. He was getting better.

...

Shock held a piece of paper and flashed it to Oogie. She earned a nod of exceptance so she crept behind Barrel and taped the paper on. "Kick me!" Lock exclaimed, jumping out of a bush. He kicked Barrel from the behind.

...

Barrel heaved and pushed the pitchfork off himself with ease. Oogie latched the three on to a wooden couch. After he climbed on, he grasped a whip and slapped it at the children. "This is hopeless!" Lock wailed.

"No! We can do it! Just...HEAVE!" Shock said. They all tried to walk which didn't really work. Lock dug his fingers into the ground and pulled. Barrel narrowed his eyes. "NEVER QUIT!" He shouted. He pushed Lock onto the couch and set Shock in front. He walked and the couch dragged behind him. The speed increased. He bolted up a giant hill and so did the couch. "W - W - Woah! W - watch it! S - Slow down, B - Barrel!" Shock screamed, holding onto her hat.

...

Lock folded his arms as they all kept laughing at him. This time, he wore a cape. Lock had enough. He punched Barrel's face and then, Shock. She clentched her bloodly nose. "Grrrrr... you don't hit girls!" She shouted.

"Oh. I am so sorry, Barrel." He grinned.

"GRAAAAH!" Shock leaped onto him and grasped his neck, choking him. Barrel swung his hands toward Shock. It did manage to push her off but he spun around and landed on his back. Lock leaped onto Shock and began to wrestle with her.

...

Shock lifted herself onto a step. Her muscles ached. Barrel ran in front of her and he kept running. He spun around to face her. He offered a hand. "Sink or Swim?" He asked. Shock narrowed her eyes and climbed the next step. It only took her five seconds for each. Her height magically upgraded! She was taller than her team-mates.

...

Barrel sped across the muddy roads. He finally made it to the top. Shock grabbed his shoulder and so did Lock. At the count of three, they lifted him onto the couch.

...

Lock lifted up his weapon. Oogie grasped some bones and other things and poured them in front of the children. Shock stared upon them all. Lock automatically began to force things to stick together. "No, no, no. Now, that's all wrong. That thing will never make a weapon. It's too loose, now make it strong! Try something sticky. Something evil!" She said.

"Huh?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Ugh! Do I have to raise you boys! Gosh!" Shock snapped. She grasped Lock's hands and together, they both clicked two bones together. Their eyes met.

"Umm, can you let go of my hand?" Shock asked nervously.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Hehe. Riiiighhht!" He pulled away and wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt. She grabbed some tape and a black rubber band. After a few minutes...

"Bingo! Slingshot!" She exclaimed.

"Hey, teach me how to do that." Barrel insisted.

"Sure." Shock helped him make on of his own.

...

Shock grasped the small kitten. "I don't need cats!" She shouted to Oogie.

"Yes, you do! You're a witch!" He snapped.

"Oh, really?" She grinned. She leaped behind Barrel and Lock.

"Wait, wha -"

She quickly wrapped some clothing around the two boys as they began to scream,

"Ah! No! Don't!"

"What are you doing!"

"Stop! Don't touch my hair!"

"Finish!" Shock cheered. She revealed the boy's new costume. They were dressed like kittens. Lock spun around and examined his tail. "My tail! It's black!" He cried. He turned to Shock. "YOU'RE DEAD!" He shouted, waving his fist at her. Lock tackled Shock by the waist.

"AH! KITTY GONE ROUGE!" She laughed. She kicked him off and wrapped him with a rope. Shock placed a bow on his head.

"Don't forget the bow!" Shock winked.

...

Shock finally reached the top of the stairs! "I did it! I did it!" She exclaimed, looking down at her progress. Lock and Barrel were dragging themselves among the steps. "Hurry, up, guys! The view it AMAZING! HA! HA! HA!"

...

The three children pulled Barrel onto the couch. They were on the top of a giant hill. Oogie layed down and examined the sunset. "What's going on up there?" He yawned.

"We didn't do -" Lock was cut off.

"Anything!" Barrel finished.

"It's an -" Shock smiled as her team-mates joined in.

"ADVENTURE!" They all cheered in unision. The couch slid off of the hill. Until it got caught near a rock. Shock leaped up and lifted up the couch. The couch rode over her. "Shock!" They all gasped.

"You called?" She grinned. They looked over their shoulder to see her behind the couch. She smiled wildly. "Watch out!"

They looked back to see a tree in their way.

"AAAAH!"

Barrel shut his eyes. Lock narrowed his eyes and grasped a small rope that flew under the couch. He pulled the rope tightly and the couch moved to the left. Shock and Barrel opened their eyes.

"WHEEEEE!" The children cheered. Oogie covered his mouth, feeling sick.

"THESE KIDS ARE CRAZZZZZZZY!"

...

Shock grasped the arrow and aimed it at the target. It shot into the middle perfectly. Oogie sighed and adjusted the arrow for her. "Now shoot!" He exclaimed. She released the string and the arrow shot over the hills. Through the mountains. And into Halloween Town. A high pitched scream filled the land. Oogie patted her head. "Perfect, Shock. That'll do," He smiled warmly, looking down at the small girl. "That'll do."

Montage over.

Oogie led the children into a large field of wheat near a horse corral. The moonlight was the only thing that lit the way. Oogie made them wear cowboy clothes. Barrel looked over the fence. Then back his master and team-mates. "Are you sure?" Barrel asked.

"Yes!" They all urged.

"But -"

Shock shoved him inside the corral. Black mustangs with fiery red eyes trotted quietly. Barrel slowly crept behind one and leaped on it. "Yippe-Cai-Yay, cowboy!" He exclaimed, waving a cowboy hat around. They all fell to the floor, laughing as the horse hissed and trotted away in a flash. "Did we go too far?" Shock asked. Cowboy Barrel rode into the sunset. His foot was stuck near the horse's stomach where you place your foot near the saddel. Oogie scratched his head.

"What do we do now?" Lock asked. Shock adjusted her hat on tightly and revealed a determined look.

"We fight and we save!" She snapped. Shock leaped above the corral fence and jumped on a horse. "Coming?"

"Uhhh..." Lock rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sink or Swim, Lock." She stated, offering a hand. "Sink or Swim."

"Swim?" He guessed, grasping her hand. She yanked him on.

"Hold on tight!" She laughed.

"Wait, wha -"

"YA!" She whipped the handle and the horse burst through the cold air. Lock clentched on tightly to her waist. Hooves clicked upon the ground rapidly. Shock grinned as the wind blew through her hair. Laughs escaped her throat. Lock's laughs were more like cries. "Heeheeheeeeee!" She cheered. Barrel bobbed under a horse, screaming. Shock handed the steering to Lock and stood upon the moving animal. Lock tried to slow it down but he was too scared so he just steered the horse closer to Barrel's fleeing horse. Shock leaned close and grasped Barrel. "Jump!" She urged.

"N - No!" He blurted out.

"Just trust me!" She begged

"I d - don't know!" Barrel cried.

"TRUST ME!" Shock pleaded. He shut his eyes and leaped upon the moving animals. It was in slow-motion to the three. Especially Barrel. He plummitted towards the clicking hooves. He would've been trampled. If it wasn't for the one thing that saved the boy wearing green.


	4. Chapter 4

Shock's eyes widened. Barrel shut his sight, expecting his end to be near. Other spooked horses followed the children that led the herd. Oogie picked up the training manual. "I knew this hentchmen thing was a bad idea." He sighed. Before he could throw the book as far as he could, something amazing happened. Shock crossed her fingers before.

Please don't let Barrel die. Please, Please, she cried mentally. He owes me ten dollars!

Lock couldn't let this happen. He wrapped his tail around Shock's waist and shoved her off the horse. Barrel grasped onto her and swung onto the horse with her following. Lock pulled the steering rope and the horse skidded to a stop. The rest of the herd blew through the wind, bolting into the black clouds that layed afar. They all grinned.

"AWESOME!" They cheered. Oogie even screamed with excitement. He quickly covered his mouth.

"Uhhh, ahem! Good work, my hentchmen." He said. The trio exchanged jokes and high-fives.

"Wait, wait, wait. Aren't we still on a horse?" Shock cocked an eyebrow.

"Aw, man." They all sighed. The horse arched it's back and sent the three kids flying. Lock's long bangs flew above his eyes as he waved his arms around through the blowing wind. Barrel spun around, laughing. Shock screamed but no one could really hear it due to the blasting air that blew her hair straight back. Oogie's eyes followed their bodies as the children landed in a large pond. Barrel was the first to swim up and move his hair away from his eyes. It drooped over his eyes when he arrived to the top. So did Shock's when she came up. They floated for awhile, moving their arms to stay up. "Hahaha," Barrel sputtered. "And Lock said I wasn't fly."

"Ugh! Terrible joke." Shock laughed playfully. They shared a few chuckles.

"Wait!" She said. "Where is Lock?"

"LOCK!" Barrel called. He stuck his face through the water and screamed it out. "I can't find him!"

"Oh no! He's a goner!" She cried. Lock sprang out and grabbed Shock from behind. She replied with a scream.

"SAVED YOUR LIFE!" He laughed. "GOTCHA!"

"Lock, you idiot! YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!" Shock snapped, punching his arm. He rubbed the injured area.

"Well, what if you DO die when I scare you?" He asked.

"THEN, I'LL COME BACK AS A GHOST AND HAUNT YOU!"

Lock pushed Shock in the water but she pulled him down with her. Lock grabbed Barrel's leg so he had to follow. An arm grasped them all from the back of their shirts and yanked them out. "Okay, okay. Time to go, kids." Oogie said.

"OOGIE!" They cheered, and climbed onto his shoulders. Oogie couldn't help but smile. A small smile but it's the thought that counts.

"Some new lessons." He smiled.

"BRING IT!" The trio challenged in unision.

"Okay. First, you need the look."

"The look?" Lock asked.

"Yes. Second, you need to try out your stealth with your powers."

"Powers?" Barrel looked at the sky of stars.

"And third, you all need to learn your attacks."

"Attack." Shock pronouced in a bold voice. Lock flicked his tail under Shock and began to tickle her.

"S - Stop! Hahaha! Oogie, Lock won't stop t - tickling me. Haha!" She cried. Barrel wasn't interested in the childish play. He sat on Oogie's head and looked at the stars.

"Hey, genius!" A voice snapped. Barrel turned to Lock.

"Will ya move it, fatty?" He teased. Barrel swung his fist at him but slipped and slid down onto Oogie's arm. Their master grasped them all and set them in a tub near the fields. He pushed it slowly. "Barrel?" Shock insisted, holding a rope. He nodded excitedly and wrapped the rope around his shoulders in a double knot. Lock shoved Oogie inside as Barrel leaped out in front of the tub. "Ready?" He smiled wildly.

"Ready!" Lock and Shock exclaimed. Barrel burst through the fields and through the hills, dragging the tub behind himself. Oogie held the rope to steer Barrel. Although Barrel didn't really need the help. "Here hold this." Oogie insisted, handing the rope to Lock. Oogie leaned left and Barrel took a sharp turn in his dirrection. A bright light at the end of the road forced them to shut their eyes. They all landed in frosty ice. People were inside, decorating. Shock burst out of the snow. "C - Cold!" She yelped. Barrel followed.

"I'll never be your horse again!" He cried. They were all still wet from the pond and the cold wind made it worse.

"This is your new training ground. The Mortal World." Oogie annouced. Shock looked around with Lock.

"I remember this." She said softly with a small smile. "I used to do this kind of stuff."

"Y - You remember?" He gasped.

"Well, I remember the lights. That's pretty much it." She sighed.

"Maybe, we should leave." Oogie insisted nervously.

"WHAT? Just because of me? Is it because I'm a girl?" Shock demanded.

"Uhhh, no."

"It is! I bet I'll come home with more evil things than you can even think of!"

"Deal!" Lock exclaimed. Shock spit into her hand and offered it to her team-mates. They followed her procedure and they all locked hands to shake on it. Shock leaped up and tied Lock's cape over his eyes then she shoved Barrel in the snow. She jumped on a street sign and leaped onto a building. "Ah! I'm blind!" Lock cried.

"Mrf mrrh!" Barrel agreed in the snow. Oogie yanked them out.

"Make sure she doesn't remember anything else!" He snapped desparately.

"Our first mission?" Lock grinned. "WE WON'T FAIL YOU, MASTER!"

Lock wrapped his tail around Barrel and climbed onto the house.

"Ew! Your tail feels like one of those furry, thick ropes except softer. Ewww!" Barrel yelped.

"Shut up! You're really heavy!" He groaned, crawling onto the roof of the house. They spotted Shock. She was jumping into every chimney and when she left, a scream escaped each house. She glanced upon the most biggest and brightest house of all. "Wow." She awed. Shock leaped on the house and near the chimney. Lock released Barrel and followed her. "No!" He snapped, tackling her by the waist.

"Grahh! Get off of me!" She shot back.

"You can't be seen!"

"I'll be seen if I want to!"

"Well, you can't scare people anymore!"

"I'll scare who I want to scare!"

"I thought we were supposed to be friends!"

"Friends? HAHA! You're jokin', right?"

"Wha -"

"Dude, this is work! Get your head out of your clouds, you idiot. We aren't friends! We're cohorts!"

"B - But, I -"

"You're pathetic, little boy."

Shock kicked him off and climbed to her feet.

"Grrrrr! YOU'RE PATHETIC!" He snapped.

"Hey, Lock. Aw, did I break your heart? Looks like Barrel is going to break more than just his neck!" She pointed out. After Lock released Barrel, the boy slid off the roof and grasped onto the gutters. Lock spun around and gasped so Shock dove into the chimney. He quickly grabbed her leg. "Let go!"

"Never!" He growled. Shock bit down into his hand and plummitted into the hole. She rolled onto on floor and crashed into a box.

"Why who are you, little girl?" A sweet, deep voice asked. Shock moved her long hair to see a man in red.

"AAAAH! LOBSTER MAN!" She shrieked, bursting out of the box. She wore some kind of sweater over her shirt.

"AAAAH! IT'S ITCHY!"

"Easy, easy now." The man chuckled, grabbed her and setting her on his lap. "Would you like a candy?"

"No way, hosay!" She snapped. He stuffed a tiny cane into her mouth and she shut her mouth to taste it.

"Wow! You sure are hungry! Would you like to help me check the nice list?" He laughed. Shock nodded in reply, still sucking on the tiny candy. The man with red cheeks opened up the list. A knock on the door made him depart from the den. "Now who could that be at this hour." He groaned, getting up from his chair. Shock glanced upon the giant piece of paper. She wasn't on the list! So she climbed off the chair and near the list that rested on the floor. After grasping a pencil, she scribbled her name on the bottom of the list. Giant boxes layed on the bottom of a colorful tree. "Eh, as long as I'm here." She grinned. Shock shoved the boxes in a bag and climbed up the chimney. The man reached the door to greet two boys with tattered clothing.

"Oh, hello, little boys." He greeted.

"Hello!" Barrel exclaimed. Lock elbowed his gut.

"I mean to say...hi?" He guessed. Lock elbowed him again.

"I'm Santa C -"

"No time. Have you seen a girl with a purple shirt with long black hair? She's about this tall. And yay big." Lock gestured.

"Hmm... what for?" Santa cocked an eyebrow.

"Uhhh, she's our...sister?" He lied.

"Oh, well yes."

Santa turned back to see an empty den.

"Hm, my mistake. She has seem to disapear."

"Grrrrr...nevermind." Lock growled. Barrel waved goodbye but Lock grasped the back of his shirt and dragged him away. They met Oogie back at the tub.

"D - Did you find her?" He asked.

"No. We failed." Barrel sighed. Shock ran up to the boys.

"Get in!" She snapped, shoving the boys in the tub.

"Why? Where did you get those?" Barrel asked.

"No time!" She cried. She dropped a giant bag in the tub and latched a broom to the front.

"Oh, what? Are we going to clean our way home?" Lock teased. "Hahaha!"

"You can say that." Shock said softly with a mischievious smirk. The broom was charmed. Now, you may wonder how she got it. Well, put your wondering to rest. The town they have accidently traveled to is a sweet, warm town named Christmas Town. Every Christmas story contains magic but where does it come from? Witches lurk in the town to spread Christmas cheer but not all witches enjoy having their broom stolen. Shock leaned forward and the broom flew up with the tub floating behind. She finally slowed down when she was in the clouds. Lock stared upon Shock's blowing hair. He reached forward and moved her hair to examine her neck. "Why are you bleeding?" He asked.

"Be lucky that THEY didn't slice my throat." She cried.

"Here."

Lock reached into his pocket and pulled out a bandage. He slowly placed it on Shock's neck near her cut.

"There! Better?" He insisted.

"Better." She smiled. Lock leaned back to realize Barrel was asleep and Oogie was lost in thought. He looked back at Shock.

"Soooo...did you really mean that thing about 'cohorts' back there?" He asked.

"Well, obviously...I barely know you boys. And this is my work. I'm not going to let a boy get in the way of my sucess. So yeah. You guys are just cohorts. For now."

"Cool." Lock muttered under his breath. He leaned on Barrel's arched back and dozed off as Shock focused on the skies and thoughts. Oogie layed back on the edge of the tub and looked into the stars. Deep in thought.

_She's starting to remember. I need to make her forget. But how? Bonk her on the head? No, that won't do. What if she bleeds? And she'll probably forget our training. I AM NOT GOING THROUGH THAT AGAIN! They still haven't gotten their masks. Well, that devil boy's costume came with a small mask. But that won't be scary enough. The girl knows something. She taunts me with it. Grrrrr...I know! Helen will give me some masks and I'll hand them down to my hentchmen. I'll sneak them by that ragdoll woman and while she's curious, she'll try out those potions on them. She'll charm them and while she's busy making goo-goo eyes at that wretched Jack, I'll sneak them back. It'll be charmed to replace Shock's curiousity with evil._ Bwahahahahaaaaa! It's perfect...


	5. Chapter 5

After Shock parked the tub near Oogie's lair, she fell asleep in exhaustion. Oogie had to do the rest. He grabbed them all and carried them to inside the casino. He set Shock in a box and Lock on the table. Barrel had to rest next to Shock. Oogie sat down and glanced at the sleeping children, scratching his head. He remembered when he was extremely lonely.

_"Ooh, look at me! I'm Jack Skelington! I'm cool because I like to jump really high!" Oogie teased as he walked into his lair. "Blegh! I can't believe they follow his orders. Oh, Jack! You make walls fall! You make mountains crack! Grrrr...GRRRRRAAAAAAH! That should be me! Not him!" _

_He sucked up his anger and made his way to his recliner. The monster collasped into it, becoming lost in thought. "It's fine! I don't need to leave my lair. I got all the comfort and company I need here!" He growled. Oogie was only allowed outside his lair on Hallows Eve. Jack wanted to be friendly so he invited Oogie to a party. _

_"How dare Jack invite me to a party? Inviting me down on such short notice! Even if I wanted to go, my schedule would NEVER allow it!"_

_He opened a book that held his schedule._

_"Four o'clock, Jazzersize. Four-thirty o'clock, solve world hunger. Tell no one! Next, dinner with myself. I can't cancel that again! Then, it's wrestle with myself. I'M BOOKED! Well, I could just cancel the wrestling and stare up into the ceiling and slip slowly into madness.." _

_Oogie chugged down his Bug Juice and looked into the ceiling. _

_"Am I just eating because I'm bored?" He gasped softly. He flipped to his side and cuddled up near his chair, feeling cold. _

Oogie copied the same procedure and thought some more. He didn't have time to lose! He sprang out of his chair and carried the kids into town. He crept downtown and into a shop.

"Get off me!" A girl shrieked, trying to pry a boy off her. "GRRRRRAAAAAAH! Dylan! I'm totally over it!"

They seemed to be the age of teenagers.

"Grrrrr...stupid teenagers." Oogie growled, walking up to the front desk. The worst part of it all was that the teenagers WERE behind the front desk. The boy known as Dylan climbed to his feet to face Oogie.

"Oh, hi, sir." He greeted. Oogie looked around at the mess they caused.

"What happened here?" He asked.

"Oh, I was just making my sandwitch when Ashely comes at me for no reason!" Dylan explained. Ashely rose up and grasped his hair with a jerk.

"There you are! I want to introduce you to somebody! SENIOR BROOM!" She snapped, holding up the cleaning utensil.

"Grrrrr...I HATE Senior Broom!" Dylan shot back.

"How dare you!" She gasped.

"You must now face the wrath. Of Senior Tickles!"

"Wha - no! Not Senior Tickles!"

Dylan tickled his friend crazily.

"Hahaha!" He annouced.

"HAHAHA! AAAAH! THIS ISN'T FUN FOR ME!" She cried.

"Well, cleaning isn't fun for me!" He shot back. Oogie separated them with a shove.

"Stop with unusual play of torture roughness." He snapped. Ashely sat in her chair and looked up. Another boy entered the room. His nametag read, Scott. Oogie's glance fell upon the red-headed teenage boy. "Now, now...we want to be on time for Jack's annual Halloween party." Dylan agreed.

"Those who were invited..." Scott grinned, glancing at Ashely.

"Shut up, SCOTT!" She snapped. Oogie snickered at his tease.

"You didn't get invited?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm trying REALLY hard!" She shot back. "Do you know what time I got here? Seven-thirty! Yeah, that's right."

Oogie smirked and set the three children on the desk. Ashely jumped back and landed in a box.

"T - There dead!" She shrieked.

"They're sleeping, dipthong!" Scott smacked the girl on her cranium. She tackled him and they wrestled each other to the floor. Dylan handed him a box and sent Oogie outside the door.

"Helen told me you might need some masks." He sighed. "We're her apprentices."

"Wait, where is Helen?" Oogie asked.

"Umm..."

Ashely and Scott trudged to the door along side Dylan.

"She's dead." They said quickly in unision with serious faces. SLAM! The door was shut.

"D - Dead." Oogie gasped softly. The children hugged his legs as he walked away. A sudden tapping of footsteps made Oogie switch to stealth mode. He ducked behind a trashcan as a skinny fellow made his way downtown through the alley. It was Jack! He crept to the shop and banged his boney fist on the door. "Open up in there!" He pleaded angrily.

"Uhhh...not open!" Dylan shouted through the door. Oogie heard a loud smack.

"He meant to say...nò ablas espanòl!" Scott yelled. Another smack.

"That's not even how it goes!" Ashely snapped.

"I failed spanish class!" He snapped back. Then, a louder smack.

"Did you just hit me?" Ashely asked.

"Uhhh...no." Scott lied. Oogie peeked through a hole. The two teenagers were wrestling on the floor. Jack busted the door open. He glanced angrily at the three teenagers.

"Uhhh," Ashely said nervously. "Hola."

They all scrambled to their feet and under the nearest furniture. Jack lifted up a couch with ease and threw it to the wall. "Grrrrr...where is she!" He asked.

"Who?" Dylan asked.

"YOU KNOW WHO!" Jack snapped.

"Shhhh!" Scott whispered, placing a finger on Ashely's lips. Jack crept toward a desk. He lifted it up to reveal the two.

"J - Jack, what are you talking about?" He chuckled nervously.

"Are you a witch?" Jack asked.

"No, sir."

He moved to Dylan.

"Are you?"

"No, sir."

He finally moved to Ashely. Jack grasped her shirt and lifted her against the wall. Her feet dangled as she came face to face with the fearsome pumkin king. "Are you a witch?" He whispered in her ear.

"W - Who wants to know?" She asked fearfully.

"I, JACK, THE PUMKIN KING!" He roared, slamming her into the wall. Ashely replaced her fear and pain with courage. She flipped her bangs away from her eyesight and looked into Jack's eyes.

"I'm a witch." She growled. "Whatsit to you, Jackie boy?"

"Where is Helen Green?" He asked. "What's your name! What are you doing here!"

"I am Ashely Green. I work here! My mom is dead! So you can't find her! Ha! Ha!" Ashely boasted. Oogie realized something when he turned back. The children were gone! He quickly glanced back into the hole and spotted them. Barrel climbed a shelf and curled into a little ball. He sucked his thumb and fell asleep. Lock was trying to grasp his mask from a high shelf. He jumped and jumped. Shock was half asleep. She barely kept her eyes open when she walked. She swayed back and forth as she walked. Oogie gasped softly. He glanced back at Ashely and Jack. "What is this!" He asked, pulling an arrow out of his pocket.

"An arrow! So what?" She snapped.

"This was found in Sally Finklestien's arm this morning! Care to explain?" Jack insisted.

"Yeah. She should watch where she's going!" Ashely growled. Jack flipped the arrow to it's side to reveal a small written logo.

"This says Green's Magic Shop."

"So?"

"I want to know who you sold this to!"

"We have lots of costumers."

"Witches have visions. I want you to read this!"

"Why so angry? Is Sally your girlfriend or something?"

"Of course not. She's my best friend! And it's not about her. We ran the fingerprints and it said unknown mixed with a hint of The Boogie Man!"

"I'm still not seeing the big deal!"

"I'M THE PUMKIN KING! I KNOW EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE HALLOWISTIC REALM! AND IF I DON'T KNOW THIS ONE AND IF OOGIE GOT TO IT BEFORE ME, WE ARE BIG TROUBLE!"

"Grrrrr...fine."

"If it's a new commer in his hands, we'll all be gone! All life will end as we know it..."

He released Ashely and she fell with a loud THUD! She rubbed her injured head and took a seat at the front desk, the resting place of her computer. Jack sat at the chair in front of the desk to face the three teenagers. "Who cares if he has a few new commers?" Dylan asked.

"Because new commers are a danger to everyone! Including themselves!"

"Wha -"

"If they adapt a Halloween body, they immediatly need to enter school to learn how to control their powers. If they're feeling angry, sad, confused or even happy they can destroy everything in their path!" He explained.

"Ohhh!" Ashely uttered a horrified moan.

"What? What happened?" Jack asked quickly. She tapped on the keyboard some more.

"I lost a follower on Twitter!" She cried. Scott crept away nervously.

"Did you un-follow me!" She snapped.

"Pfft! No." He lied. They ran into the back room to talk it out. Fight it out seems to fit the term better. Dylan took a seat and typed some things.

"What are you doing?" Jack asked.

"Checking my facebook. You know what I hate? Whenever I check my facebook, I get a bunch of notifications...but when I check them, most of them are game requests!" He complained.

"I know right." Ashely shouted from the room. Scott slammed a chair on her back.

"Aw, bitch." She whispered, wiping some blood from her lip. She broke a table on his back.

"Ohhhh!" He groaned, clutching his head while rolling on the floor.

"Umm...maybe we should go back to wrestling..." Ashely suggested softly, staring at her bleeding friend. Jack smacked his head with the palm of his hand. He walked to the back room and hung Scott on a hook from the back of his shirt. Jack pushed Dylan off the chair and set Ashely in front of the computer. Oogie glared at Lock, who kept jumping, and Shock, who swayed as she strolled. Jack handed the arrow to the girl after she typed a bunch of words on the keyboard. "Umm...yeah. Our last purchase is from...Wolfman who purchased a rubberball? Next, the nayor who bought a costumized T-shirt that reads, Jack's number one fan? Weird. Very weird." She read outloud.

"Skip to Oogie!" Jack pleaded impatiently.

"Geez, can I hear a please!" She snapped,

"Please!"

"That's better. Anyways, Oogie purchased...three Hallowistic bodies for three new commers. Not only that. They have the most popular and newest powers to ever enter Halloween!"

"What is that?"

"Devil, Ghoul, and Witch."

"I've got to stop him."

Jack bolted to the door but Ashely stopped him. Dylan and Scott joined her. Together, they blocked the only exit.

"I'm afraid we can't let you leave. You know too much." Scott tsked while shaking his head gently.

"C'mon. If you help me capture Oogie, I'll bring Helen back." Jack said.

"That's impossible! She died in the mortal world. You can't bring her back." said Dylan.

"Surrender! For I do not wish to hurt you." He growled.

"Screw you! We will fight!" Ashely shouted.

"Very well. I wish I didn't have to do this but you leave me no choice." He said softly. Jack threw a fist at Ashely but she slipped under his legs and leaped behind a desk. Dylan ripped off his shirt to reveal his wolf form. He roared and leaped on Jack's chest, clawing his clothes into bits. Scott grabbed his converse and formed them into knun-chucks. He flipped the weapon around like a professional. He clashed the shoe onto Dylan's wolf body causing him to crash into the wall in unconsious. Scott helped Jack to his feet. "Terribly sorry, King Jack." He sighed, dusting Jack's suit. Oogie was about to shout with anger but something stopped him. Lock wrapped his tail around a pole and backflipped onto the shelf. He grasped his mask and jumped off. The shelf began to move. Barrel quickly jumped up near the wall. Oogie reached in and pulled him outside. Lock was the next. Oogie felt all around but Shock was no where to be found. They all peeked into the hole. Shock was wondering behind a shelf. She grabbed a spell book and hugged it tight. Ashely gasped softly when she spotted the girl. She hugged Shock and covered her mouth. Ashely crawled through the back door and into the cold night. She looked into Shock's eyes. "Don't worry. I'll protect you." She whispered. Ashely rose up and bolted through the alley. She wrapped her in a blanket and led her to a door. "SALLY!" She screamed in a whisper. Oogie appeared in front of her. "Hand her over." He growled. Ashely stared down at the small girl holding her hand. She would just give it up but something was different. She wasn't like her mother. The costumer wasn't always right. Ashely hugged Shock tight and backed away. "No! You aren't fit to be a parent!" She snapped.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE A PARENT! I'M AN EVIL MASTER! SHE IS MY HENTCHMAN! NOW HAND HER OVER!" He snapped back. "Or else..."

"Or else what?" Ashely narrowed her eyes.

"Or else you'll join your mother!"

Ashely hesitantly handed the girl in a rolled up blanket. She bolted into the other direction and into Town Square. Oogie chuckled evilly and unfolded the blanket. Nothing. It was just a big witch hat. He slammed the blanket on the floor. "Grrrrrrr...GRRRRRAAAAAAH! SHE TRICKED ME!" He roared.

"SALLY!" Ashely whispered loudly when she reached The Plaza near Jack's house.

"Huh?" A ragdoll woman yawned from on a bench. She was resting on a bench outside.

"Remember when you said that if I needed a favor, just call?"

"Yeeeees."

"Well...I'm calling."

"What'cha need, Ash?"

"This is Oogie's...I mean...a trick or treater. Can you watch her until I come back?"

"Umm, sure. I'm great with kids..."

"Cool. Bye now,"

"Wait! When will you come back?"

"How much time does somebody get in jail for attacking a royal?"

"Hmm...seventeen years, I think."

"I'll be back in seventeen years."

Ashely ran back to the shop to except her punishment. Scott grinned as she entered the store. Jack cuffed her hands and slammed her on the floor. Before she was locked inside a car, she looked up at Scott. She passed him when Jack led her outside. "I never should've taken pity on you." Ashely said softly. And she was gone. Oogie looked down. Lock and Barrel were gone, too! Sirens and alarms went off. Jack was searching for him! For his hentchmen. For Ashely. He snuck into the shadows and spotted Sally holding the three sleeping children. She carried them as she emerged inside her house. Oogie growled and looked into the fading moon. The night was over. Halloween was over. But before the monster disapeared into the shadows, he spoke his last words of the night...

"Until next Halloween..."

**AN: Hey, people. Sorry for the delay. I won second place in UIL. I even have a trophy to prove it!:) It's almost Christmas! Hurray! I'm thinking of writing a poem for it. **

**Short Sneak Peek:**

**...I just love the bright lights,**

**And the cold winter nights,**

**At the end when the fire is dying,**

**And when my family are saying goodbying,**

**We rest in our warm beds at night,**

**Till the sun starts to rise just right,**

**After the moon starts to set in the shape of a cresent,**

**Till dawn when we open our presents.**


	6. Chapter 6

Sally shut the door behind her.

"Sally! Is that you?" Doctor Finklestien called.

"Uh...yes." She replied. She couldn't let her creater to find out about the trick or treaters. He would never allow it. Sally always kept her word. Especially with friends. She hid Lock under a pillow. Barrel behind the couch. Finklestien came closer. His groans of pain echoed the cold hallway. Sally quickly stuffed Shock in a jar and shut the cupboard. She quickly spun around to face her creater's giant shadow. He glanced at Sally. "I hunger for food. Dinner was supposed to be at eight sharp!" He growled.

"Yes, sir."

Grumbling something about some perks in his ragdoll invention, he rolled near the couch. "Sally! Help me up!" snapped Finklestien.

"No! Don't sit there!" She yelped. That would've been a good thing to say outloud, she thought.

"Grrrrr...I'll do it myself." He grumbled under his breath. "I sware...out of all the daughters in the world, I had to get you."

Finklestien hopped onto the couch and adjusted a TV dinner table over his lap. He clicked a button on the remote and the TV blinked on. "Blasted thing! I can create life in a day but it takes me years to fix that blasted TV!" He exclaimed angrily. Sally glanced upon his words and slammed her fist on the screen. It turned on and the screen was crystal clear. "Just like I planned." Finklestien lied. Sally rolled her eyes and took a seat in the old recliner on his right. They watched television as the stove began to heat up. "This just in! Three local teenagers have been arrested!" A man on TV announced.

"Hah," Finklestien grinned. "Serves them right. Some people just don't know how to raise their child. I say, Sally, I'm glad that you have behave nicely and have rich manners."

"Thank you." She said softly, staring uneasily at the pillow he was resting on.

"What's wrong, dear?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Huh? Nothing. Everything is peachy."

"Peachy?"

"Huh? Oh, I mean...Everything is terrible!"

"Splendid! Don't talk that new commer slang."

"Yes, sir."

"That's my girl. Now, hush up and watch the program."

"Yes, sir."

They both stared at the TV as the program continued.

"The teenagers are known as Dylan Silavin, Scott Morser, and Ashely Green," The man went on. "Scott claims to have been on Jack's side the whole time."

"Ashely?" Sally gasped softly. "Jack?"

"Dylan Silavin formed into a wolf and clawed up Jack like a chewtoy. Scott Morser sprung into action and defeated Silavin with only his shoes! What a hero! Ashely fleed while her friend was in cuffs and Morser helped Jack up. Jack Skelington is not injured. I repeat, Jack Skelington is not injured. Thanks to Mr. Morser. Miss Green was mintutes later." He explained. A video of Ashely appeared on the screen.

"I except my punishment," She sighed. "But I regret nothing. My mother taught me to be loyal to all costumers. I admit, I am on your side but I make my own rules."

"Grrrrrr..." Jack replied, folding his arms over his tattered clothing.

"You'll never find them." She whispered before she left. Sally was the only one who could hear her whispers. Jack's eyes widened but when he spun around to chase her, Ashely was in the back of the car. It zoomed away, never to be seen again. Finklestien clicked a button and watched the next channel. Sally stared outside the window in disabelief. Jack wants the trick or treaters, she thought. But why?

Deep in thought, she stared outside at the eerie abyss. Shock was tired of the strong smell trapped inside the jar. She peeked outside the container and swung the cupboard door open. She lifted her leg over the jar and carefully positioned herself onto the ground. The top of the jar slammed and Shock fell out of the cupboard. The cupboard door slammed shut, forcing Shock to lose her balance. Klonk! She fell back into the soup. Finklestien glanced at toward the slamming noise of the cupboard door. Everything seemed to be the same so he shrugged it off and turned back to the TV. Lock could no longer hold his breath. He was crushed underneath Finklestien so he squirmed through a crack in the pillow. He slipped out with ease but his tail was stuck. He grasped it and heaved so he could be free. Finklestien shifted so soon Lock was free. He must've pulled to hard because when he was free, force caused him to flip over and land on the floor.

Once again, Finklestien searched his surroundings and shrugged off the unexplainable activities around him. Barrel's stomach growled. He sniffed the air to spot the most delightful smell of all his life. Shock had kept some of Oogie's brew in a plastic baggy inside her pocket. No one had tasted it. But he was starving! His eyes grew green and he formed into a small wolf. He crept under the couch and trotted into the kitchen. Barrel wasn't using his brain. It was like he was hypnotised. It was an instinct of his ghoulish nature. Shock popped out of the horrible smelling pot. Of course, she was thinking like a new commer. She had yet to learn the ways of the Halloween folk. But she was off to a good start. She crawled out of the water and...SPLAT! landed wetly on the counter. Finklestien rolled upstairs. "I'll be taking a nap, Sally. I am beginning to hear things. I curse the day pranks were invented." He grumbled.

"Yes, sir." Sally muttered, not really coming out of her thoughts.

"I expect my dinner in bed. No, I want it in my lab. When I awaken, I shall work on my new invention. It skips right to Halloween night when you click the red button." Finklestien explained. "I expect the soup to be delicious and on time."

"Yes, sir." She repeated, staring blankly outside the window. Finklestien soon disapeared into his bedroom. Shock sniffed the soup.

"YUCK!" She thought, clutching to her nose. She looked around. Sally was familiar to her now. She took her in when the situation was grim so Shock trusted her. And with trust is friendship. Shock wouldn't allow this soup to enter anybody under the name of Sally so she decided to improve it. She leaped up, grasped the knob of the cabinent and swung like a monkey. Excitedly, she landed on the sink and use only one drop to wash her tiny hands. Barrel finally spotted Shock and leaped on her with joy, licking her cheeks. "AH! DOWN, BOY!" She whispered. Barrel sat down and panted heavily, blinking blankly at Shock. Lock strolled in and petted the wolf.

"Woah," Shock gasped, looking into the animal's eyes. "Barrel? Is that you?"

"Oh, geez." Lock said sarcastically. "Like the dog is going to answer."

"Don't make me dress you like a cat again." She snapped quietly.

"I know karate."

"Sick him, boy!"

To them, it was a playfull joke. To Barrel, it was an order. He tackled Lock, baring his large fangs and growling threatningly. Lock wanted to cry! Shock's eyes widened. Lock growled back and prepared to bite down into Barrel's arm. Which he did. Barrel yelped and backed away. Lock shoved him to the ground but he quickly sprang out and clawed at the boy wearing red. Lock hid behind a cabinent but Barrel bursted through the wood as if it was nothing but snow. He arched his back and prepared to attack, growling with his green eyes glowing and slobber dripping and oozing as if it was blood. It was red, too. Lock grabbed a wooden stick and broke it in half, making the stick sharp. He lifted it up and stabbed Barrel's chest. Shock kicked the stick before he could even do it. "Stop!" She cried angrily. "You'll hurt him."

"Hurt him?" He gasped. "THAT MONSTER ATTACKED ME!"

"Aw," she cooed, petting Barrel and scratching behind his ears. "He's just a little puppy! Who's my good boy?"

She kissed his forhead and grasped his head to look into his green eyes. "You're my good boy." She whispered with a smile.

He licked her hands and then, her cheeks.

"Really, Shock?" Lock cocked an eyebrow. "Grrrr...fine. We can keep him, if you make me dinner."

"DEAL! But we can't tell Barrel about his wolf powers. I don't want him to know that I actually like him." Shock said.

"Deal! I'll make us a cool hideout until Oogie comes back." He replied, pointing to the stairs. Lock traveled under the stairs and into the abyss. He collected some things he might need such as blankets, flashlights, pillows, sheets and other tools. He ended up making a complete hideout that contained tunnels under the house. But it took a couple hours.

Sally finally snapped out of her thoughts and fell asleep on the couch, not even noticing the trio at work.

While Lock was building and Sally was sleeping, Shock gathered some ingredients with the help of the wolf form of Barrel. She was finally at the end of her soup. "I need a small piece of Deadly Nightshade." She whispered. Barrel nodded and trotted across the counter. He bit down into a jar and walked back to Shock's side. She grasped the jar, tore a tiny piece of Deadly Nightshade and threw it into the boiling pot of soup. "Hm...Sally might be suspicious when she smells the soup. Hand me the Frog's Breath." Shock instructed. Barrel hopped on the other counter. Then, the other. Until he on landed the cabinents. He climbed the shelves until he got the very top. The glass bottle labeled, Frog's Breath, was on his right. To his disapointment, the bottle was empty! He wanted Shock to suceed so he jumped to the floor and bolted the through the swinging back door. Barrel looked around and it wasn't long till he spotted a frog. He bit down into the frog's stomach and ran back into the kitchen. He jumped near the pot and bit down in the Frog's chest, forcing it to release it's horrible breath. They both coughed and hacked. Shock quickly held her nose. "I need some...hmm...Wormsworth." She said softly. Barrel bit down into a bottle and poured it into the green liquid. It turned a light grey substance. Shock petted his head and kissed his forhead. She reached up, scooped a portion of it in a wooden spoon and shoved it in her mouth. "Mmh...the snail bits was a nice touch. Thanks for the recommendation, Barrel." She smiled. Barrel butted head against her stomach. He backed away and sat down to scratch his ear with his foot. Shock tasted it some more. "It's missing something." She thought outloud, rubbing her chin. She reached into her pocket and poured some of Oogie's Brew into it. Barrel eyed the bag as she set it down to mix the soup. "You want it, boy?" Shock teased. He nodded excitedly and performed a backflip. Barrel lowered his heads to the ground and looked up ever so slightly. He panted wildly, full of excitement. Shock lifted up the bag and poured some in his mouth. As he gulped it down, she petted him lovingly. Barrel began to form back into his ghoulish form. Shock backed away and covered her eyes. "He's not wearing a shirt, is he?" She asked. Lock peeked out from the clubhouse.

"Yep." He sighed, backing into the abyss. Barrel, overwhelmed with exhausted since he wasn't use to using his powers, fainted to the ground, landing in a big box of moldy bread rolls. Sally sprang out when she heard a knock on the door. "SALLY! GET THE DOOR!" Finklestien yelled, and he flipped to his side to get a few more mintutes of slumber. Sally opened the door to reveal the tall royal, Jack Skelington. "Evening, Sally." He grinned.

"E - evening, Jack." She muttered shyly.

"May I come in?"

"Huh? Oh, but of course, Mr. Skelington!" She smiled, motioning for him to come in.

"Please," Jack said, stepping in. "Call me, Jack. We are best friends."

"Oh, right." Sally recalled, moving a strand of hair from her eyes. "I forget."

"Oh, please. You're only human."

"Don't you mean monster?"

"Ah, I see you have picked up on your Halloweenish."

"Of course, I have. I have been living - I mean, dying here for years."

"Sally, I see your not very comfortable with this."

"I am not."

"Let's just talk commonner."

"Thank you, Jack."

"Don't mention it."

"So, should I warn the doctor of your arrival?"

"No."

"Huh?"

"I actually came to talk to you."

"M - me?"

"Yes."

"Whatever for?"

"Well, Sally...I have known you for years now..."

Sally became nervous. Was Jack asking her out? Was he admitting his love for her? She tried not to get lost in thought.

"Hey, Shock!" Lock whispered. "Guess where the clubhouse is?"

"Where?" She asked softly.

"I made a tunnel into someone's house." He grinned.

"What! Why!" Shock snapped. "I sware you are so stupid! So dumb!"

"I'm not the dumb one! You're no fun!" He shot back.

"SHUT UP!" She said angrily.

"Make me!" He challenged.

"Grrrr..." She sighed, clutching her forhead. "Who's house did you build our shelter in?"

Lock turned to Jack, who didn't even notice the children since all his attention was on Sally.

"His!" He smiled, pointing at Jack. Shock gasped when she spotted the skeleton and tackled Lock. They both rolled under the cabinents. She placed a finger on his lips and they both easedropped on their conversation. Jack placed him arm over Sally. "I want to take you to dinner!" He exclaimed.

"D - Dinner? L - Like a date?"

"No, of course not! Hah! Hah! Good one, Sally. That may be the first joke you have ever told me."

"It wasn't a joke."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Hah! Hah! Sally, you are quite the jokester."

"Get to know me, Jack."

"I will. Over dinner. I promise."

"Oh, Jack. You're so sweet. Like candy."

"I learn from the best, Sally."

"But really. You don't need to waste a dime on me. I can make us dinner."

"No. I refuse to let you waste your energy."

"It's not a bother. I'm use to it."

"Sally, I couldn't."

"Jack, I insist. It would be an insult if you didn't taste my cooking."

Shock gasped softly. "I'm not done yet!" She cried softly. Lock grabbed her hand.

"Oh no, you don't!" He snapped.

"She needs me!" Shock debated. She crawled out from under the cabinent and climbed to the top of the counter. Lock climbed along with her. "Okay, okay. Fine. Make it quick, though." He sighed. Jack rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about it. Sally's lovely, pleading eyes seem to seel the deal. "Okay," Jack smiled warmly. "If you insist."

"I do! Take a seat. I'm sure I can whip something up in a matter of seconds." She exclaimed. Jack sat at the table and set his sachel down. Lock snickered as he spotted it. He bit his tongue before he could even say, "Nice man purse."

Shock climbed the shelf and grasped a bottle of Corpse Calvine. Lock took watch nervously. He spotted Sally so he quickly warned Shock. "She's coming! Quick! Jump!" He urged.

"Are you kidding? I'll break my neck!"

"No, you won't!" Barrel exclaimed, crawling out of the bread rolls. He had stuffed his cheeks with the delicious treat. He gulped it down and opened his arms. "We'll catch you!" He smiled. Shock bit her lip, unsure of her next move. She wanted to trust her friends but...that's just it. They weren't her friends. They were just cohorts and that's all they will ever be. Cohorts. But Shock wanted to change that so she shut her eyes and released her grip. She plummitted towards the ground, hoping that she could trust them. And to her surprise, they did! They caught her and carefully set her down to her feet with smiles all around. Although she wanted to shout and cheer, she knew she didn't have time to lose. Quickly, she poured the Corpse Calvine into the pot and stirred it using a spoon. They boys helped her by lifting her up by her feet. When Lock saw Sally coming closer, he yelped. In order to keep himself quiet, he covered his mouth and backed away. But without Lock's guidance, Shock fell headfirst into the soup. Her foot accidently hit Barrel and he fell back into the bread rolls. Lock backed away and fell into Sally's drawing bag. Shock popped her head out of the soup. "The recipe didn't call for witches!" She scolded. Shock spotted Sally, held her nose and dove into the soup again. It was too late for her to climb out. She just had to wait till the right time to sneak out. Sally glanced at the boiling pot. "Huh?" She cocked an eyebrow. "I don't remember making soup. Guess I must've dozed off after making it. Eh, oh well."

She shut the top on the pot and carried it back to table. Jack was surprised to see his dinner so quick. "How's that for fast food?" She teased. He grinned at her joke and she served him a bowl full. She scooped it up with a soup laddel and when she dove the tip inside the liquid, Shock's shirt got caught on the tip. Jack bended down to pick up his napkin that a mysterious gust of wind blew to the floor. The wind game from the open back door of the kitchen so he, the polite and elegant fellow closed the door for Sally. She poured the soup in his bowl and Shock fell in with it. An idea came before Sally. She wanted to show Jack the sketches for the new costumes on Halloween so she grabbed her drawing bag and set it on the table. She dropped the laddel in the process so she didn't notice Shock falling in Jack's bowl. He took a seat and tucked his napkin in near his neck in his suit. Sally set her napkin on her lap after she took a seat in the chair in the front of Jack. She grabbed the box of bread rolls and set it in the middle of the table. Jack took a big spoonful but didn't notice that Shock was on the spoon. Closer and closer. The spoon and mouth became closer. Until...

**Kind of a cliffhanger. I think this is the last chapter so far. Because I...  
A quote from our fearsome pumkin king,  
"Cause I got some new ideas that will really make them scream!"  
So yeah. I want to make a Christmas story before the holidays are over. BUT! I'll come back to this story. That's a promise. A royal promise! Please review! C'mon people. Make my holiday:) **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I know I said I would write a christmas story but not anymore. I've been writing a lot of things in school so I didn't really have time. I did have alittle time but my teachers assigned me two reports. A book report and a science report. Anyways, I had some time to write this in the morning but I didn't get to upload it. This story is much more fun than any of the christmas stories I can write. Oh, well. Enjoy:)**

"ARF! ARF!" The cute and loveable ghost dog, Zero, barked. Jack set down his spoon and led Sally towards the noise. It came from the kitchen back door. Jack cracked the door open and Zero leaped onto him, barking loudly. "SHHH! You'll wake The Doctor." Jack scolded. Zero lowered his head and backed away. Sally reached down to pick him up. "Aw, don't be like that, Jack." She pleaded lovingly, petting Zero. He placed his arm over Sally and they strolled outside through the pumkin patch the size of a garden. Sally gazed into the stars. "I love Halloween Town stars." She said softly, resting her head on Jack's chest. Together, they made the cutest and most perfect couple. Of course, Jack and Sally didn't know what lay ahead. All they could do now, was hope. Dream. And most of all, wish. Sally wished she could admit her un-dying love for the skinny fellow on her left but he didn't know. Jack felt like something was missing. Like a flower. You never notice the most beautiful of all flowers even though they are right under your nose. The thing he was missing was on his right. Shock bursted out of the soup and gasped for air. "I...HATE...SOUP!" She said between breaths. Shock drenched her hair and Lock popped out of the bag.

"I told you so! Let's get out of here!" He snapped.

"Yeah!" She agreed.

"We can't." Barrel blurted out.

"Why not?" They asked.

"'Cause we're supposed to be ninjas!" He exclaimed. Lock stuffed a bread roll in his mouth and shoved him back down.

"I hate to admit it but...Barrel is right. We're supposed to have ghoul-like stealth." Shock sighed.

"Ugh! I wish Oogie would come." Lock cried.

"I don't want to be here anymore. It's boring! I want to go home." She said.

"Me too!"

Oogie's evil laughter filled their heads. They didn't like Halloween Town that much anymore. Shock covered her ears from the deafning roar of laughter.

"Guys..." Barrel said fearfully.

"Did you hear that?" Lock asked Shock.

"YES!" She yelled.

"Guys..."

"Was that Mister Oogie Boogie Man?" Shock asked Lock.

"I think so." He sighed.

"Uh...guys."

"Not now, Barrel." Lock snapped, and he turned back to Shock.

"Did Oogie send that to us?" She asked.

"Guys..."

"Not now, Barrel." She growled, and she turned back to Lock.

"I think Oogie DID send that to us!" He exclaimed.

"How? What do you think it means?" Shock asked.

"Guys..."

"NOT NOW, BARREL!" They shouted in unision.

"But -"

"WHAT!"

"Look!"

He forced them to face Sally and Jack, walking back. Lock and Shock shoved Barrel in the box of bread rolls. Lock pushed her into the bowl but she refused to go down.

"NO!" She cried. "I won't go back!"

"Shock, you'll come out." He assured her.

"But -"

"Shock, I promise! You will come back."

"You promise?"

"Yes!"

"Okay."

Shock held her nose and dove down into the soup. Jack passed the table and opened the chair for Sally. Lock quickly dove into her bag. Jack took a seat to face her. He grasped the spoon and scooped up some soup. Shock kept her eyes open during her 'swim'. Jack slurped his soup and his eyes widened. "WOW! Sally, what flavor!" He exclaimed. Sally licked her spoon and her eyes widened aswell. They ate with happy faces. Shock kept shifting as Jack's spoon kept diving down for more. He lifted up the bowl and slurped it down. Shock faced him but she leaped up and crept onto his head. She clinged onto his skull as if she was a cat. Jack didn't seem to feel it, though. He placed the bowl away from his face and set it on the table. Sally gasped as she spotted Shock. "What?" He smiled. Sally examined Shock's gestures. She placed a finger on her own lips which ment, "SHHHH."

"N - Nothing." Sally lied. Jack scratched his skull but he was really scratching Shock's stomach. She tried to contain her laughter. She was ticklelish! Shock scratched Jack's head as he did to her stomach.

"Are you sure?" He insisted. Sally never her eyes off Shock and nodded gently.

"So, Sally," Jack said. "I wanted to go over the costumes for next Halloween."

"O - Of course." She blinked blankly and stared at Shock some more. She handed Jack her bag of drawings and he stuffed his hand in. Lock panicked and bit down into his finger. After yelping loudly, Jack pulled his hand out. Lock clinged to it and pretended to be a fancy bracelet.

"Wow. Nice bracelet." He chuckled nervously. Jack opened the sketchbook and examined the drawings.

"Sally, I feel like something is missing." He admitted.

"Okay." Sally nodded.

"What do we need? I want this Halloween to relate to an ordinary child's life." Jack said.

"Okay." She sighed.

"What are we missing? We have the monsters. Under the stairs and under the bed -"

"In the closet?"

"OF COURSE! Write that down."

"Yes, Jack."

"Hmm...we have the moon. The wind. The who. Anything? The monsters. The costumes. The treats. The tricks."

"That's it! How about trick or treaters?"

"BRILLIANT!"

Sally grabbed her sketchpad and drew some costume ideas for the trick or treaters.

"We should host a contest at the schools to see who is the most best of tricks and treats." He suggested.

"Okay." Sally wrote down the idea.

"We need the best of the best. 'Cause that's what Halloween deserves! The very best! Am I right?"

"You're right, Jack."

As Sally continued her work, Jack glanced at the breadrolls and reached for one. Barrel quickly tried to move but it was no use. There were not enough bread rolls to shield him from Jack's boney clutches. Jack grabbed the plush boy and examined him. "Huh?" He gasped. Sally was shocked when she looked up. Jack's eyes narrowed angrily and he turned to Sally. "Sally," He growled. "I want to know about this! I want the truth and nothing but it!"

"The truth? Well, t - the truth is, Jack..." She said nervously. Shock swung into Jack's eyesight.

"Hello!" She grinned. Jack gasped and backed away. Shock and Lock climbed to his shoulders.

"Hey!" Lock smirked. Barrel rose and leaped onto Jack's chest.

"Hi there!" He smiled. They all laughed. Jack shook them off.

"The truth is that Sally chose us to be the trick or treaters." Lock lied.

"Yeah! She wanted to design our costumes while watching us use our powers." Shock joined in.

"No, she didn't. Mister Oog -"

They covered Barrel's mouth and kicked him back in the box.

"Oh, okay." Jack sighed, and he sat back down.

"Jack, Sally wants you to help by getting some supplies in town." Shock insisted.

"Well, okay. Anything to help." He said softly, and walked outside and into town. Once the door slammed, Sally glanced at the creatures.

"Y - You talk?"

"No, we sing." Shock laughed.

"No, we don't, we talk!" Barrel corrected.

"SHUT UP, BARREL!" Lock and Shock shouted in unision.

"You almost gave away our master!" Lock snapped.

"But aren't Mister Oogie Boogie and Mister Jack friends?" He asked. They plugged their cohort's mouth and looked at Sally. She was busy fetching the doctor his dinner. She came back down the stairs and sat back down. "Huh?" She asked.

"Nothing." Lock grinned. The sun came up and Sally yawned. She knew Jack won't be back for awhile. He would always run into somebody and talk about Halloween for hours. She just smiled and layed on the couch. Shock cocked an eyebrow. "What about us?" She asked. Sally rose, picked each trick or treater up and carried them into town. "Do you know what trick or treating is?" She asked. The children thought about it, rubbing their chins and scratching their heads. Finally, they shook their heads. "Trick or treating is a time where you knock on stranger's doors and they give you candy."

"CANDY?" They gasped happily.

"Uh-huh." She nodded.

"Free candy?" Barrel asked.

"Yup." Sally smiled.

"WOOOOH! HURRAY FOR HALLOWEEN!" They cheered in unision. People nearby smiled at their excitement.

"Sally! We want to be the best of the best." Shock said.

"You'll need to enter school in order to enter the competition." She replied.

"Well, what are we standing around here for? Let's go!" Lock instructed. Sally walked to the nearby school and carried them inside. Children laughed and threw paint. Girls would squeal after whispers.

"These kids look funny." Lock grinned.

"Look who's talking." Shock teased.

"Lock is talking." Barrel said. They smacked their ignorant cohort. Sally wrote their names in the sign-in. She glanced at the clock.

"Wait, what's your name?" Sally asked. They leaped on the table, stole her pencil and scribbled their names on the sign-in sheet. They wrote it very large so no one else could write it on the same page. A sudden deafning siren filled everyone's heads. "AAAAAAAH!" The trio shrieked. Every child laughed at them and ran out the door. "What is that?" They asked.

"Town Meeting. That siren goes off atleast three times a day. So...good luck with that." Sally said. The children groaned in unison. They could hear Jack's voice through the deserted town. He annouced the competition for tonight.

"TONIGHT?" She gasped.

"We need costumes!" Shock cried. "These costumes aren't scary enough!"

Sally nodded and led them back into her house. She led them to the bed chamber in the lab. "Stay here!" She snapped.

"But -"

"If you stay, I'll give you candy."

"We'll wait right here for ya."

Sally smiled and bolted out the door. She knew exactly what to do. She would gather her materials such as thread, needles, measurement tape, cloth and things like that. Sally was very familiar with her job of making clothes for children and even adults. She made her own dress herself. She looked down at her dress. Um, that's not the point, she said mentally. She was almost near the door when someone stopped her. "SALLY! Where are you going?" Finkelstien growled.

"I'm heading out." She replied.

"I want you inside tonight. I offered to assist Jack on this night. My invention might actually work." He said.

"Well, I can take your place. While you work."

"Hm? Why?"

"Because...I need to learn to scare?"

"Hm. Very well, then."

"So...I can?"

"Of course. I trust Jack will take care of you on this night of all nights."

"Thank you, sir."

"If you don't come home on the stroke of twelve, I'll make sure you never see the light of day again!"

"I promise to back before twelve."

Finkelstien grumbled something under his breath and rolled upstairs. Sally contained her excitement and cheers. Snickers escaped her lips. She ran outside and into the nearest shop. "I'll take some green, purple and red cloth. Charmed." She smiled. The man nodded and reached for the cloth with his dead arm. It was moldy and the skin was chapped. Sally didn't care. She yanked the cloth out of his hands, set a pumkin dabloon of the counter and departed the store without another word. She grabbed some needles from her hair and searched for some measurement tape. Witches were fighting over their clothes. "I don't want anything to do with these pieces of trash!" They growled in unision, and stormed away in different directions. Sally glanced at the pieces of tiny cloths and tools. "Excuse me, girls. Would you mind if I -"

"Not at all, Sally." They sighed and continued their walk. Sally grabbed the basket and emerged into her home. She crept into her bed chamber quietly. The trio were trying out their powers.

"I bet you can't even spell 'cat.' Go ahead Mrs. Know-it-all. Spell cat." Lock insisted.

"Uhhh...?" She guessed.

"Hah! Nope! Do you know how to spell dumb? Y - O - U!" He teased. Shock's breathing increased heavily with anger. She narrowed her eyes angrily at Lock, who was laughing his head off. She stared at his tail and something in her mind just...clicked. A flame bursted on his tail.

"Huh? AAAAAAAH!" He blurted out. Shock stared at him and the fire spread. Sally crept behind Shock.

"Snap out of it!" She instructed. Shock shook her head and glanced at the ragdoll. The flame disapeared and their was no sign of fire anywhere.

"Oh, sorry...What happened?" She asked.

"You lit me on fire!" Lock snapped.

"I - I don't remember doing that." She shrugged.

"That's not fair!" He cried. "She gets witch powers! Barrel has wolf powers!"

"Wait, what?" Barrel gasped.

"What powers do I have!" He said angrily. He grabbed the plunger from his back and slammed it on the floor. A skeleton rose and moved towards Sally. It grasped her hair and pulled tightly. It clawed into her skin. "Lock, stop!" Shock and Barrel cried.

"I - I can't!" He sputtered. Shock stared at the skeleton until it bursted into flames. It didn't really help. Sally tried not to scream when the skeleton set her hair ablaze.

"STOOOOOOOOOOP!" A voice shrieked. The skeleton turned into nothing but dust. They turned to see Barrel, breathing heavily with exhaustion.

"B - Barrel?" Shock asked. "Did you make that noise?"

"Uh-huh." He nodded.

"That was a Power Shriek. Not even the most advanced ghouls can perform those." Sally sighed. "Please don't tell me you're new commers."

The trio exchanged nervous glances. "Umm," They said in unision. "We won't tell you then."


	8. Chapter 8

Sally smacked her head with the palm of her hand. "Doesn't that hurt you?" Barrel asked.

"And where's our candy!" Lock snapped.

"Yeah!" They all agreed.

"Huh?" Sally said casually. "Oh, I didn't bring you candy."

"WHAT!" They cried angrily.

"I had my fingers crossed." She said normally with a shrug.

"But you promised!" Shock whinned.

"Well, the promise doesn't really count if you have your fingers crossed." Sally sighed.

"But that's lying!" Lock defended.

"Lying doesn't matter you have your fingers crossed." She repeated.

"But - wait, really?" Barrel asked.

"Uh-huh." She nodded.

"How do you cross your fingers?" She asked.

"Like this," Sally answered. "You placed you hand flat and then you take the index finger and middle finger. And then you do this. Then this and this. And there!"

"COOL!" They cheered.

"You guys didn't know that?" Sally asked.

"Nope." He shook his head.

"Well, I want to teach you everything about being a kid." She annouced.

"I rather not." Shock replied.

"Don't be like that! It'll be fun!" She cheered.

"I don't knooow." They said nervously in unision.

"C'mon!" Sally smiled. "How hard could it be?"

She pulled the items out of the basket and set them on her desk. Sally was determined to make them the best. She wanted to be like her creator. He built ny things that always ended up being the best. She also wanted to impress Jack. He would spend a lot of time with the creator of the best trick or treaters. He would use hours of the day just to talk about Halloween. Imangine what he would do when she would improve Halloween rather than make it girly. Everyone thought she could never make anything scary. But since Jack cherished Sally's company, they had to except her into their holiday. They made her the costume designer. Not a big role but she was happy. It took years for her to actually get a part in the Halloween song. No words but atleast she made an appearance. Sally set the red cloth under the moving needle and slowly moved it upward and downward. Shock stared at the needle and fell into a trance. Sally ignored all the noise and the voices became distant. Barrel thought about what Lock said and Lock tapped his foot impatiently. He wanted to learn faster! So he grabbed Lock, jumped on the open window of Sally's bedchamber and attatched Barrel to the electric wire. He pushed Barrel down and he slid along the wire. Lock grabbed Shock and wrapped his tail around the wire. Shock shook her head and glanced at the far away ground. "UHHHHH...AAAAH!" She screamed, and clinged onto Lock.

"Woah! Shock, calm down!" He said. Shock ignored him and clinged onto his chest tighter.

"I - I H - HATE HEIGHTS!" She cried.

"Don't worry! I'll set you down!" He sighed.

"Thank you." Shock said with relief, getting down from Lock. Grinning slyly, Lock grabbed Shock tightly and slid down the wire. She clinged onto his chest tightly. She slipped to his stomach. "SHOCK!" Lock gasped. She grabbed onto his shoe. Then his shoelace. He reached down to grab her hand but it was too late. Shock's hand slipped and she fell. She shut her eyes until she was on the ground, shivering. "You okay?" A boy asked. She opened her eyes to face a boy her height except upside down. He held his arms up as if he was doing something. He levitated Shock using his hands and some words. "I - I...uhhh..." She sighed. The boy wore a dark black blazer over a white shirt and a red amulet. He wore dark black pants that revealed only some of his green converse. He grabbed Shock and set her on the floor. A girl ran by with a wild smile. "You did it! You saved her!" She exclaimed. "You saved her, Gabe!"

"I did? I mean - I did! I did, Judy!" He smiled. They turned to the girl.

"Judy!" The girl exclaimed.

"And Gabe!" The boy joined in. Shock really liked their introduction.

"I - I'm Shock!" Shock said.

"Your new?" He asked.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Cool!" Judy cheered. "I'll show you around."

"No! You did that last time! This one is mine!" Gabe defended.

"Not-uh! The last one didn't even like you!" She snapped.

"Witch face!"

"Blood sucker!"

"Cat lover!"

"Atleast I don't polish my fingernails!"

"*GASP* You take that back!"

"Fingernails! Fingernails!"

Shock snickered at their fight.

"You can draw straws?" She suggested. Shock grabbed three dead roses and offered them one. Gabe was the one who won.

"I get to show you around." He said full of pride.

"FINE! BUT I CALL THE NEXT!" Judy growled.

"Hah! There hasn't been a new person in Halloween Town for centuries! Good luck with that!" Gabe teased.

Lock gasped as Shock fell but then, he spotted three kids. The first boy sprinted near Shock and yelled some funny words. Shock began to levitate and after a while, he set her down. He stared at them and crashed into a wall. He fell right on Barrel, who clinged onto the end of a gutter. They both fell into a blanket that stretched them down. It sprang back up, sending the boys flying into the sky.

Shock listened to Gabe's every detail. "Sooo...what are you?" He asked.

"I'm a witch." She replied.

"Cool. I'm a warlock. But I'm mixed with vampire blood. See this amulet?" He pointed to his necklace.

"Uh-huh." Shock nodded.

"Every vampire has one. But since I'm only a half blood, it's not filled to the top." He sighed.

"You can be mixed?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. But don't let ghouls fool you! If they get bit by anyone or anything, they can harness their power and diguise as them. That's how they trick people on Halloween. Those good-for-nothing ghouls!" Gabe said. Judy still walked near them, making sure if Gabe made a mistake, she would be the first to correct him.

"No wonder Barrel transformed into a wolf! A wolf must've bit him while we were training with Oogie!" She thought outloud.

"Wait, what?" Judy asked.

"Nothing." Shock answered quickly, putting her hands up to defend herself.

"You're the girl!" She cried. "Your wanted poster are up everywhere in the mortal world! You stole something from the real people!"

"UHHH..."

"And Oogie brought you here, didn't he?" Gabe joined in. "You and your cohorts are new commers!"

"No! That's not true!"

"And then, you and The boogeyman sent three teenagers - a werewolf, a zombie, and a witch - to kill Jack!" Judy continued.

"But you failed! And now you want us to do your dirty work!" He said.

"NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Shock said.

"And - And -" They choked out.

"I SAID! THAT IS NOT TRUE!" Shock yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Huh?" They raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, I serve Mister Oogie Boogie Man! And sure, I watched the three teenagers attacked them but that wasn't me! I'm not that evil! And neither is Oogie! So say what you want. I know the real truth!" She admitted. Shock raised her hands to defend herself.

"We believe you." Judy said casually.

"FINE! BRING IT ON! I - Wait, what?" Shock said.

"We believe you." She repeated with a shrug.

"Really? Wait, no! Your lying! Everyone lies in this stupid town!" She shouted, raising her hands again.

"It's okay," Gabe assured her, grabbing her hands. "Your secret is safe with us."

"Yeah! As long as you protect us, we protect you." Judy smiled. "But no more evilness!"

"Oh! Of course, of course." Shock grinned slyly, placing her hand behind her back and crossing her fingers.

"And since you shared a secret with us, we'll share a secret with you." Judy insisted.

"YEAH! We can teach you this!" Gabe placed his fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle. A broom flew by his side.

"Woah! You can control brooms?" She gasped.

"You don't control the broom! The broom GIVES you control!" Judy said. Shock grabbed a broom and jumped on it. She fell right on her face.

"Dude, that's just a regular broom." They laughed.

"Oh, right. Hehe." Shock chuckled, and grabbed another broom. She soon discovered that it was a regular broom, too so she tried again. The box she was searching was full of regular brooms.

"Maybe we should just start with a simple levitation spell." Gabe insisted.

"Really? I thought I was making progress." She groaned sarcastically.

"Okay, place your hands like this. And then say, comontrol von spiritron!" Judy explained.

"Comontrol von spiritron!" Shock exclaimed. Right then, two of her cohorts fell down into her spell and started levitating. It was like she was carrying them because she felt their weight.

"SHOCK! HOLD IT!" They cried in unision. Shock was forced to hold the boys up.

"Okay, good!" Judy said.

"Now, slowly! Set them down." Gabe instructed gently.

"But gently!" She added.

"Okay." Shock nodded. "Slowly. And gently."

She slammed them into a wall and then smacked them on the ground.

"I DID IT!" She cheered, jumping up and down.

"Ohhhhhh!" They uttered a weak groan of pain.

"Looks like they'll need more than one lesson." Judy whispered.

"LET'S TEACH THEM HOW TO SCARE!" Gabe exclaimed.

"Pfft! You don't know the first thing about scaring." A boy grinned. He seemed to the last of their group.

"It takes one to know one, Cam." Judy shot back.

"It's Cameron!" He corrected.

"Oh please!" She grumbled. They starting bickering but Gabe didn't say a word.

"Wait," Cameron said minutes later. "Where's Gabe?"

They looked around but he wasn't near. Out of the blue, he bursted out of the green slime in the corner and limped towards the children.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" They all screamed. Barrel narrowed his eyes and shoved Gabe down. Lock ran by and kept hitting him with a nearby broom.

"HELP! AH! HELP! PEOPLE! HELP!" He cried. He rose and covered them with slime.

"AAAAAAH! THEY MULTIPLY!" Shock shrieked, and shoved them in a trashcan.

"Help me mail them to kansas!" She insisted. Judy and Cameron shook their heads quickly. Lock kicked the trashcan top off and sent Shock flying into the wall. He jumped out and slime oozed from his body.

"This will take forever to get out of my hair! And my shirt. And pants. And shoes. And everywhere!" Barrel cried, climbing out of the trashcan.

"You get used to it." Gabe coughed a chunk of gew out. A loud bell rang loudly.

"School!" They groaned.

"School?" The trio asked.

"Oh, don't tell me you've never been to school!" Judy cried.

"Umm," They said in unision. "We won't tell you then."

* * *

Gabe, Judy and Cameron led them into the school. Gabe, Lock and Barrel left slime in their path. Judy and Shock snickered at the sight. Everyone rushed and scattered. Gabe grabbed Shock's hand and yanked her into a room. "Fifth grade!" He explained. "I want you in my class. Since I am showing you around."

"What? No, I'm not in -"

"You're the same height as me. So you gotta be in fifth grade." He smiled. Shock spotted the advanced items of witchery everywhere.

"Weeell, maybe just alittle while longer." She chuckled.

"Hehe."

Shock bolted across the room and played with the tools. She mixed Red Slime with Monster Blood and Sweat of a Ghoul. She flipped to some random pages in a spell book. Everyone spun around and awed in amazement at her speed. She grabbed a Werewolf Claw and threw it in her mixture located inside a pot. Finally, she grabbed Gabe's tooth and tore out one of his loose baby fangs. "AH!" He yelped, clutching his mouth. She slowly placed it in the pot. "NO! DON'T MIX FANGS WITH CLAWS!" A girl named Ivy cried. Shock already threw the fang inside. The potion exploded, leaving some black marks on everyone's front bodies.

"It's okay! She didn't add -"

"Ooh! Snakes Skin and Bug Juice!" Shock exclaimed. Ivy tried to stop her. So did everybody else.

"NO! NO! NO!" They warned. She poured the liquid in and the crushed the skins, turning them into scales and letting them fall into the pot. A poof of smoke pervaded the room. Everyone coughed and hacked, waving the smoke out of their eyesight. She poured the dark red goo-ish liquid in a potion bottle and plugged it with a cork. Once the smoke cleared, she faced everyone's angry and suprised faces. Some people were irritated and some people thought it was really neat. Others really started to like her and some kids hated her idea of a 'potion'.

"Uhhh...I'll just...go." Shock said nervously. Ivy stopped her on her way out.

"Don't ever make that kind of potion again," she scowled. "It can change hearts in a snap!"

"Don't worry." She stuffed the bottle in a hole in her dress and patted it down.

"So you won't use it?"

She crossed her fingers behind her back and grinned slyly at Ivy. "Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Sally swept the red cloth away from the sewing machine and set it on the bed. A devil. A witch. And...

"Oops. I forgot about the ghoul." She sighed. Finkelstien cranked levers and pulled pulleys. Until he heard a knock on the door.

"Get the door, Sally!" He grunted. She sighed and crept downstairs, near the door. Sally peeked through the window and excitedly opened the door. Jack walked in.

"I need to talk to the doctor." He greeted. Jack trudged upstairs and began to chat with Finkelstien. Sally wasn't one to easedrop but she kinda was. She pressed her ear on the shut door and listened carefully.

"Tonight's the night! Is it ready yet, Doctor?" Jack said excitedly.

"But of course." Finkelstien growled. "It hurts that you doubt me."

"I think I might need to cancel the gathering. The children are much more important to me. And if Oogie comes back then...I don't want to think about it now."

"Jack, I believe you should not cancel. You barely get any time with the youth and this will increase your liking in everyway!"

"I think so. But it isn't about me. I think I should just run through the song practice, hurry with the gathering and get everyone inside their houses an hour early. An hour before the moon is at it's fullest. Before Oogie is released."

**AN: 306 views! Awesome! Thanks, people! Really means a lot. Thank you. Really. It's the truth. Just...Just thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**-Twelve hours till Hallows Eve-**

Lock romed the classrooms, searching for the perfect one. The bell rang and the deafning sound filled his head. Judy spotted him, gasped and tackled him into a space between the lockers. Everyone ran by to their next class. They only had two options, though. Gym or Art and Crafts. People would KILL to get to their class on time. Once the hallway cleared, Judy sighed with relief. "Why'd you do that?" Lock asked.

"Cause...Shock is your friend. So I have to watch after you." She shrugged, and walked away casually. Shock and Gabe ran by, cackling. Shock looked around but then, Gabe opened a locker by slamming his fist on it. He grabbed her hand and they crammed in the small space. A giant man with pies dripping from his face searched for them. Judy was sipping some water from the water fountain when she glanced at the giant man. "Gabe and his girlfriend!" He growled, meaning it to be some kind of explaination.

"I saw them run that way." She pointed in the opposite direction from which the two pranksters hid. "They jumped off the cliff."

"HAH! THEY CAN'T HIDE FROM ME!" He roared, and ran outside in the direction she pointed to. The man wasn't that bright. Once he was out of earshot, Gabe and Shock came out, cackling with tears in their eyes.

"PIE! PLUS MISTER KINTS! HAHAHAHAH!" Gabe laughed.

"We won't be seeing him for awhile." Shock joined in.

"Hah! Good one!" He smiled.

"WHAT A RUSH! What was that called?"

"Pranking."

"I love it!"

"It's my favorite thing to do on Halloween night! Especially during the song."

"Song?"

"You have much to learn, Shockie."

"Don't call me that."

They both laughed and departed from the empty hallway. Judy grabbed Lock's hand and they bolted down the hallway.

"This is my favorite class. Art." She smiled. They both walked in and released their clutch.

"You like to draw?" He asked.

"What? No!" She shook her head.

"Then, why?"

"I like to paint."

"Why?"

"Because of the teacher."

A slime dripping man walked in front of the class.

"Good afternoon, class." He greeted.

"Good afternoon, Mister Martin." Everyone sighed in unison.

"Martin!" Lock finished, hoping no one noticed he didn't say it with the group.

"Now, when you think about painting, do you think of this?" He asked Lock, holding up a famous painting.

"Uhhh...yeah." He smiled.

"WRONG!" Martin cried, slamming the canvas on the floor, breaking it into pieces. "THIS IS NOT PAINTING! THIS IS NOT PAINTING! THIS! IS! NOT! PAINTING!"

He lit it on fire and watched it burn. "Burn!"

Lock stared at her weirdly as he stomped out the fire.

"Who wants to try?" He asked, holding up paint and a paintbrush.

"ME!" Lock and Judy exclaimed in unison, raising their hands as high as possible. Martin threw paint on their body, not missing a single spot.

"The world is your canvas. Be the brush!" He annouced. Lock and Judy opened their eyes to reveal the color of irritated red.

"IT BURNS!" They cried, and they ran around, slamming their bodies on the white walls.

**-Ten hours till Hallows Eve-**

"Really?" Barrel asked.

"Sure, sure! The girls will go crazy over you if you walk in there!" Cameron lied, pointing to a door. Barrel smiled and swept his brown hair back with his hand. He entered the room and once the door slammed, Cameron pressed his ear on the door. He counted down with his fingers. Three...two...

Screams escaped the room and Barrel yelped several times. It was the girls' locker room.

Shock entered the room Gabe pointed to. "This is where the girls change. There's a uniform in every locker. But for now, use Judy's." He explained. "I stole it from her but it doesn't really help. Since I'm a boy."

Shock read the combination in her head and fiddled with the lock. "Ugh! This will never work!" She cried, slamming her fist on the locker. It automatically opened. Shock flipped to the back of the paper that read, "Or just slam your fist on it." Shock changed into her gym clothes when she heard screaming. She whipped her head around to face Barrel, being pelted by hard things. "BARREL?" She gasped angrily.

"Hi, Shock." He greeted. She grabbed one of the books in a girl's hand and threw it to his head. Barrel shielded himself and ran out of the room. Shock was steaming. She pulled on her shirt and bolted outside.

"I think I have a concussion." He moaned. Shock threw her fist to his face and due to the impact, Barrel fell on his back.

"Now, I really do have a concussion..." He groaned. "And a bloody nose."

Cameron helped him up and led him to the nurse's office. Even though, he was laughing his insides out. Shock glanced at her aching hand. She just shook it off and met Gabe by a net. He didn't look too happy. "Today's Volleyball. I hate that game." He grumbled.

"Looks fun." She said to anger him. "Why don't you leave it to the real proffesionals."

"I will then." He shot back. Gabe grumbled some things as he made his way to the bench. Shock snickered until Ivy came along.

"Hurry up! Get into position!" She instructed.

"Position?" Shock asked.

"Don't be a smart-ass. Hurry it up!" Ivy snapped.

"Uhhh...ok?" She guessed, and walked to a spot. Ivy threw the ball into the air and slammed his hand on it, causing it to fly over the net. One girl jumped up and slapped it across the net. Shock focused on the ball as it moved back and forth. They traded spots and Shock stood on the left side. Gabe grinned and stood up on the bench.

"Hey, cutie!" He shouted.

"Huh?" Shock gasped, sneaking a glance towards Gabe. WHACK! The ball slammed into her head and she fell on her back. (Hey, that ryhmed! Anyway, back to the story) She fell into unconsiousness. Gabe's idea didn't go as he planned.

**-Nine hours till Hallows Eve-**

Gabe dragged Shock to the nurse's office. Judy, Lock, Cameron, and Barrel sat on the large bed. Gabe ran in, holding Shock. "What did you do!" Lock snapped.

"Watch it, greenbean!" He warned.

"You killed Shock!" Barrel roared, trudging closer to Gabe.

"No, I didn't!" He growled. Barrel was still kinda dizzy from the concussion. Either that or he was born that way. Oh, well. Lock, the slime and paint covered devil, and Barrel, the dizzy ghoul, mangled Gabe. Shock awoken and clutched her aching head. "HEY! QUIT IT!" She snapped. Lock and Barrel grumbled and sat back down. Gabe and Cameron walked out of the room, leaving the four. The slime dripping nurse came in and examined her patients. "Everything's fine. For Judy that is. You just need a shower. As for the other boy, I think not. You don't mix slime with paint." He said.

"I didn't know!" Lock blurted out. Judy was excused and walked outside of the office.

-Eight hours till Hallows Eve-

Oogie glanced at a puddle of bug juice. It had the reflection of exactly what his henchmen were doing. It was about to ware off bu he quickly changed the reflection to Jack's and Sally's. "Hello, Jack." She greeted, holding some snacks for the men. Finkelstien ordered her to just set them down and let men be men. Sally nodded, set the snacks down and walked to her room. Jack walked near her. "Thank you for the ideas, Sally. I knew you were a great addition." He smiled.

"You're quite welcome, Jack." She sighed, and continued her work on Barrel's costume.

"Do you need help?" He asked.

"No, thanks." Sally smiled. "Well...actually...this kid is a big fan."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. Do you mind...posing for a drawing?"

"Not at all. Anything for a fan."

"Oh, please." Oogie growled. Sally drew Jack down slowly. She smiled as he did some funny poses to amuse her. She giggled and quickly drew the outlinings.

"What if I wear these giant glasses?" He asked, placing on some giant gag glasses.

"Hehe." She smiled.

"What about these masks?" He asked, replacing the glasses with three masks.

"WHAT!" Oogie gasped. He looked around for the masks of his. They were no where to be found. He must've left them in Town Square.

Finkelstien called Jack and ordered him to come in the lab. Sally finished the drawing and Jack was excused. She didn't mean to lie about the ghoul but she wanted to spend some time with Jack. What harm could it cause? She day-dreamed as she sewed the decorations onto Barrel's costume. It really did look like Jack. It had bones on the front to make it look like a skeleton.

**-Six hours till Hallows Eve-**

(AN: This next part will be kinda harsh. They truly are evil)

Shock sat on the chair next to a boy. "Who are you?" He asked.

"I'm Shock."

"You look familiar. Don't you work with Boogie and those boys? Boogie's boys?"

"No."

"Yes, you do."

"Fine. Whatsit to you?"

"Hehe...Boogie's Boys? Hah! More like Boogers Boys."

Shock grew automatically furious with the boy. She walked out of the room with blood on her hands and a trashbag.

"Shock, what's that?" Judy asked.

"Trash." She said, and threw it in the garbage truck.

"Have you seen Chuck? He was supposed to meet me here." She sighed.

"Is Chuck a monster boy?"

"Uh-huh."

"Ohhhh...nope. Haven't seen him."

"You promise?"

"Yep. I promise." She stated, crossing her fingers behind her back. Lock walked by with bloody hands, too.

"Hey, where's the nurse?" Cameron asked.

"I have no idea." Lock lied, crossing his fingers behind his back. The bottle in Shock's dress turned darker. It was a potion called A Dark Evil. The bell rang and everyone bolted out of the school. Shock, Lock and Barrel raced home.

"I'm going to win!" Lock boasted.

"Not-uh!" Shock debated. Barrel jumped on them and bursted through the door.

"I win!" He cheered, and they ran upstairs into Sally's chamber. They gasped at the sight of their costumes.

"AWESOME!" They annouced.

"Shhhhh!" Sally warned. "My creator is home."

Lock leaped up, grabbed his costume, and crawled under the bed. He rolled out from under the bed with his costume on. Shock grabbed her costume and rolled under the bed. Sally scolded the boys for trying to peek. "She's a girl! That's why!" She snapped.

"Who's a girl?" Finkelstien asked from the lab.

"Uhhh...my imaginary friend?" She guessed.

"Oh. Seriously, Jack. She needs help." He sighed.

"Grrrr..." She growled, and pushed the boys to the side. Shock rolled out from under the bed.

"I guess it's better than my old dress." She smiled.

"That's not all. Every level of witchery you pass, it upgrades. Just like Lock's. And Barrel's, too." Sally boasted.

"Cool!" She exclaimed. Barrel glanced at his costume and changed into it under the bed. He rolled out and looked at his reflection.

"It's kinda weird." He sighed.

"Well...it's because...ghouls are like ghost except they are hard-like and they like real people. And dead."

"Oh...cool!"

Sally handed them some things.

"Don't worry. We already have things." Lock said. He grabbed his plunger and Barrel grabbed his pitchfork. Shock grasped her broom and set it on her back, just incase she needed it. Jack walked in.

"The games start now. The halloween song is at it's last verses. We should go." He said. The trick or treaters nodded and they walked outside. Sally sat on her bed until Finkelstien would fall asleep.

"This won't work. I need something faster." She sighed, walking into the kitchen. A bottle of her Deadly Nightshade was on the floor near a clock.

"I wonder..." She smiled, picking up the bottle. She accidently set the clock off and it changed to it's true time. The exact time Oogie is released.

**-Two hours till Hallows Eve-**

It was sunset and Jack watched the practice. The trio caught up with their friends. Shock hid the bottle in her dress pocket incase she needed it. She ran to Judy and Ivy. "You okay? You suffered a pretty nasty hit in gym." Ivy said.

"I'll be fine. I suffered through worse." She snuck a glance at Lock and Barrel and the girls laughed. Lock eyed Gabe coldly.

"I bet I'll win you!" He smirked.

"Not-uh!" Gabe snapped. Sally ran near the kids and smiled.

"Here. I got you three these." She said. Shock grabbed the items. Fingerless gloves.

"Now, we look tough!" Barrel giggled. They grabbed their gloves and ran to the starting line. Jack would lead them into the mortal world. The kids weren't all immortal so they just called it the Human World. Jack walked in front of everybody.

"Welcome to Halloween Town!" He annouced happily. "These are called Competes Games. They will take place in the human world where the children will look normal due to the costumes. This will be measured in three ways. Pranks, Candy and Scares. They will be counted on these charmed clipboards that has everyone's names and soon, everyone's scores. Sally Finkelstien will take the place of Doctor Finkelstien."

Jack went over the rules and everyone cheered with claps and whistles. Oogie appeared in the shadows near the starting line and the kids. Lock growled and narrowed his eyes at the swirling vortex that was the entrance to the Human World. Barrel focused on the treats and adjusted his gloves. Shock placed her gloves on and adjusted her hat on tighter. Oogie made a hissing sound. The trio turned towards the noise. "OOGIE!" They screamed in a whisper. Sally set the masks on the table when Jack asked her to step up and take a bow. Oogie snatched them and handed them to Shock.

"These need glitter!" Shock smiled and dumped the whole bottle of A New Evil on the masks.

"Please turn to the children and the bell will ring!" Jack stated. Oogie quickly hid back in the shadows. Shock handed her cohorts their masks and Jack and Sally stepped behind them.

"On your mark." The wolfman barked.

"Get set." The clown laughed.

"GO!" The children shouted, and ran through the vortex. Sally and Jack ran into it aswell and the townfolk watched it on the witches' pot that was supposed to be some kind of TV. Sally awed in amazement at the kids' speed. Jack trugded near her. He was in his Pumkin King state, which was a scarecrow with a pumkin head. It spit fire from time to time.

"Nice masks for the kids." He complemented.

"Masks?" She gasped. "I didn't give the kids any masks!"


	10. Chapter 10

Jack gasped and ran towards the nearest of the trio, Barrel. His costume was too big for him. He spun around to face the Pumkin King. "It fits perfect!" Barrel cheered with a happy smile. Jack couldn't help but smile at the small boy. He totally forgot what he was stressing about. Another trick or treater ran by and shoved him with his shoulder. Barrel narrowed his eyes and got up from the ground. He ran in another direction. Shock placed on her mask. It burned her skin and a gust of wind blew around her. The wind turned a dark purple and forced Shock off the ground, spinning all around the blow of wind that now looked like a small tornado. The wind cleared and placed her on the ground. Her hair was thin, her skin was a light green and her voice was like the creeky boards of an old house. Lock slapped his masks on quickly and began to run. He was determined to beat Gabe. But it all changed when a gust of dark red wind blew around him. It cleared to reveal Lock with red hair and a flicking red tail. His skin was paler than a ghost and his fangs were razor sharp. His voice was irritating-like. The kind that always laughed and teased. Barrel focused on the treats. Oh, how he loved them. But when he placed on his mask, a dark green gust of wind blew around him. He ran towards his first house but the wind tripped him and grabbed his foot. Barrel coughed as it entered his lungs and the hard wind held him upside down by his feet. Barrel kicked and wailed but no one heard his pleas. He was set on the ground near his cohorts. His feet touched perfectly and the wind cleared away from his body. He had dark green hair and dark lines all over his eyes. They looked at the running kids almost as if they didn't have brains. The New Evil potion was to give whatever the person desired except evil-like. And since Oogie was the last to touch the masks, it gave evil to his henchmen. They were now the perfect trick-or-treaters. Their expressions were blank until Shock's lips formed an small sly grin. Lock copied her expression and Barrel just glanced at his cohorts. The clock ticked. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Until it stroked six. Human kids bursted out of their houses and raced towards others. "Show time, boys." Shock said, pulling back her gloves. They nodded excitedly and ran towards whatever caos they could cause. Cameron and Gabe waited in the cementary. They impatiently tapped their feet. "Where's Lock and Barrel?" They asked angrily. Lock leaped onto the tombstone, holding his plunger. "Speak of the devil, and the devil will appear!" He laughed.

"Lock, we need to hurry! People have already scored in the fifties!" Cameron cried.

"Yeah. Like me." Gabe grinned. "You have...five points. I sneaked a peek."

"Watch the master." Lock whispered, and walked out of the cementary.

"And learn." Barrel added, and followed Lock. Shock filled two bags of candies when she spotted a sign over a single bowl of candies that read, "Take one."

Shock took one bowl which was the only bowl. "Don't mind if I do." She snickered.

Judy spotted her and narrowed her eyes.

"You said no more stealing! It says take one!" She said angrily.

"I did! I took ONE bowl." She grinned.

"Grrrrr...Put it back, Shock!"

"No! Why don't you put yours back!"

"Shock, I'm not kidding!"

"Watch it, Judy!"

"I'm warning you."

"I'm warning YOU! Step off it you know what's good for you!"

"Shock -"

Judy touched her mask and Shock felt her skin burning.

"GRAH! GET OFF ME!" She roared, shoving Judy away. The feeling of fire went away. "DON'T EVER TOUCH ME!"

"Shock, I -"

"You're just jealous because you want to win and you think I'll beat you."

"That's not true, Shock!"

"Well, now, I will win. Me and my cohorts!"

Shock swung her broom in front of her and aimed it towards Judy's chest. She rose it as high as she could and threw it down, aiming at her heart. Before she could, Jack annouced the highest winners at the time.

"Grrrr...you're lucky I want to win. Jack might've saved you," she said, swinging the broom onto her back. "This time."

She ran to the other side of the block. Jack hid in the shadows, waiting for his next victim to scar. Lock and Barrel tricked. And Sally just stood there. He arm fell off and some children watched.

"Nice trick." They smiled, handing her the arm.

"Thank you." She blushed. The arm waved to the children and they screamed. They bolted into the woods.

"Hello." Jack's raspy voice greeted. They whipped their heads around to face the large pumkin-headed scarecrow. He shrieked as fire departed out of the carved pumkin's eyes, nose and sharp mouth. Jack chased them, shrieking at the top of his lungs. When the children reached their parents, Jack jumped up onto a roof and ran back into the woods. Some kids bumped into Lock. He jumped up and hissed at them. They shrieked in horror and backed away with jelly legs. Barrel leaped in front of Lock and bared a knife. "Who wants their faces sliced open?" He roared. They ran away and into their houses. Sally sat down and sewed her arm back. Shock ran through the street. A car drove by and she backflipped onto the car's top.

A mother was driving a car. The child inside was named Gaby. They just finished dropping off Gaby's friend, Debie. "Goodbye, Debie." She said, slamming the door shut. She reached down and picked up her burger. "Hello, Car-Sandwitch." She smiled. Gaby spotted Shock fly onto over the car while she was eating her burger. "Holy shit!" She cried.

Shock rolled off the car and to her feet. Jack's charmed clipboard added some points to Tricks. Everyone in Halloween Town kept score and examined each child with their magic pot. They murmered in agreement at the sight of Shock. Judy growled and looked at the nearest Prank. "She wants competetive spirit? Her wish is my command." She scowled. Judy climbed to her feet and rolled onto the street. A car drove by and she grabbed the bottom of it. She rolled out once it stopped and jumped on the sidewalk. Jack added some points and Judy spotted Shock. Shock stopped these kids.

"Hey, what's the idea!" She snapped.

"You were in our way! We had to push you!" They shot back. Shock lifted up a giant axe and aimed it towards them. They gasped and backed away. Judy tackled her and they wrestled on the floor.

"LOCK! BARREL! QUICK!" She cried. Lock spun around and so did Barrel.

"Hey! DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" They roared. They leaped off the house that was covered with toliet paper. They grabbed Judy and pryed her off their cohort.

"HEY! DON'T MESS WITH JUDY!" Cameron and Gabe shouted. Lock tackled them all.

"Quick, Barrel! The tape!" He instructed. Barrel nodded and quickly ran around the trio, baring the long sticky strip. Lock lifted them up and stuck them to the tree.

"Hehe...hope you can hang around. This party just got started." Lock grinned.

"No, no, no! It's like this. You seem to be in a very STICKY situation." Barrel laughed. Shock climbed to her feet and spotted the scores. They got extra points for the prank. They were low in scares. Well, except for Barrel. Shock rose and looked around. She and the boys were the highest except in scaring. They needed to scare the unscareable. The trio stopped a group of kids their age with giant bags of candy. Lock shoved them down and bared his fangs. "GIVE US YOUR CANDY!" Shock shouted.

"NO!" They defended.

"Fine. Lock, bite 'em." She growled. Lock grinned and bit down into a girl's arm. She yelped and examined the blood oozing from the cut. Shock reached into her pocket in her dress and revealed a pocket knife. It was the sharpest because it was made out of unmeltable ice. An ice knife. "Ice to see you!" She joked, and pressed it against it against a boy's throat.

"Y - You can have the c - candy!" He cried. "T - take it!"

"Thanks!" She smiled, grabbing the bags of candy. They grabbed each bag. Barrel opened the bag and shoved some candy in his mouth. Jack stopped the trio.

"You can't hurt people!" He ordered.

"Shut it, Jacky boy! We own Halloween now! The trick or treating part that is." Lock grinned. The vortex was closing. Jack grabbed the other taped trio and ran towards it. Sally was the last to enter after Jack. Shock and Lock were next and last of all the children and chaperones.

"Grah! Help!" Barrel cried.

"Wait! It closing! We only have a few seconds." Lock warned. Shock looked at Lock and then, back at Barrel who was stuck with some giant wad of gum. He was holding all the candy and he wasn't leaving it.

"We'll have lots of chances of to enter Halloween Town, but we only have one Barrel." She smiled. Lock nodded happily and grabbed one of Barrel's hands. Shock grabbed the other. It was just like their training.

"HEAVE!" Lock and Shock shouted. They pulled and Barrel became unstuck. They all rolled into the vortex and into Halloween Town. Everyone clapped and whistled.

"Uhhh..." Shock's cheeks turned a bright red at the sight of everyone's eyes and eyesocket's staring at her.

"Our winners." Jack grumbled. They walked on stage and glanced at the giant trophy. "Your prize is a check, a trophy and an appearance with me every Halloween for the rest of your life."

They awed in amazement.

"Before the prizes, let me annouce our new law. Oogie shall not be allowed in the Halloween celebration...FOREVER!" He boasted.

"WHAT?" The trio gasped. Everyone clapped at the annoucement and went back to their conversations.

"He has to be in the song! He's the boogeyman!" Shock growled.

"He's also as important as you!" Lock added.

"HUH? Yeah...sure." Barrel said between chunks of candy in his mouth. She narrowed her eyes at him and then turned back to Jack.

"Well...I suppose you're right. Sally, what do you think?" He said.

"Well, I think we should have bats fly over the moon and cover it to make it look like Oogie's shadow. 'Cause that's what he is in the Human World. A shadow." She explained. She heard a whisper between the bushes. It was Ashely! And Dylan.

"Did you have Jail Break?" Sally guessed.

"No, they said with good behavior we'd be out by next Halloween. And since it's Halloween." She smiled. They hugged as Dylan clutched Ashely's hand.

"What will you do now?" She asked.

"Well...we're thinking of opening a witch shop." Dylan smiled.

"Really?" She asked.

"In UPTOWN Halloween Town." Ashely added happily.

"And we have another witch on the way." He insisted.

"You didn't." Sally sighed.

"I did." She smiled. "It's days to you but it's years for us in the mortal world."

"Oh. How old are you now?"

"It's been two years since I graduated high-school. So yeah."

"Aren't you afraid Jack might find you?"

"No. I'll gather the appearance of a real witch soon and Dylan will do the same except a wolfman."

"That's great! What will you name the next witch?"

"Helen."

Sally smiled and turned back to Jack, who was still talking to the little ones.

"I know but we can't just have it there. If he has an appearance and no verse to cover it, then we waste time." Jack grumbled.

"We can make a verse!" Lock cried.

"Yeah! Let's see...scary to parry? Um...bite to might? No...uhhh...Night to fright? Yes!" Shock said.

"I suppose I can fit him in. Since you are my champions." He sighed. "What's in it for me?"

"You can take our appearance. Make it into Oogie's!" Lock insisted.

"Sally and I will think of something." He smiled warmly. But he also wondered. _Why_, he thought. _Why do they care so much about Oogie?_

Jack stood up straight and trudged near the microphone. "ATTENTION! Time for the prizes!" He shouted. Everyone turned to the stage.

"First prizes are for the Competes Games. That prize is...well...you already know." He said. Jack handed the microphone to the children.

"Lock!" Lock said.

"Shock!" Shock continued.

"And Barrel!" Barrel smiled with candy sticking to his face.

"And together we are..." They annouced in unison. "Boogie's Boys!"

Everyone gasped and Jack's jaw dropped open. Shock spotted the tub. She stared at it long enough until it started moving! Barrel shoved the giant bags of candies inside the trophy. They had too many bags. Shock recited a short spell that she heard from Ivy. The bag was charmed. It could fit anything inside and still look normal on the outside. It could fit an entire house but for now, Barrel only used it for candy. He dumped it all in and threw it inside the tub. Shock and Lock lifted up the trophy and Barrel grabbed the middle of it. He feet dangled as they moved along to the tub. Shock threw the bag of money that they won and threw it inside. It may have seemed a long line of deeds but it was only a matter of seconds. They cackled and clucked. Jack rose and waved his fist at them, who were long gone. They followed Oogie's prints that led to a giant tree. Shock recited another spell and the tree transformed into a house. A house in the tree, that is. They worshipped their master. Not because they hated Jack for almost canceling their master but because they loved and feared him. They trusted him. Atleast for now. Before they figured out why he needed them. Before they found out what really happened in their life. The spell set furniture inside the three house. Lock made an offering vent with candles. Barrel grabbed a crayon and drew a face on it. Shock yawned and hid under the covers of the couch. Lock scattered near her and under the covers. Barrel leaped onto the bed and the others groaned in pain. They stared at the offering vent. The wind blew the candles out. "Goodnight, Lock. Goodnight, Shock." Barrel yawned. They cocked their eyebrows at their cohort's childish behavior.

"Goodnight, Shock. Goodnight, Barrel." Lock smiled. They all snuggled inside the blanket.

"Goodnight friends." Shock replied happily. Lock and Barrel smiled wildly at the thought of that. They were friends! But Shock called them cohorts when she was upset. Lock fell asleep and the wind blew through his hair. Barrel rolled between them and rested his head on Shock. She just ignored it and fell asleep. Ashely and Dylan were the proud owners of The Witch Shop in Town Square but Dylan died years later, leaving his wife and his small witch daughter. Sally Finkelstien learned where Deadly Nightshade was hidden and how it was used. Jack Skellington wrote the missing verse his song had needed. Doctor Finkelstien has...well, has been tricked by his creation a lot. Scott was annouced to be Jack's right-hand man. Until he died a year later and the Mayor took his place. But that was years away. In this time, they were right where they stood. In the time of Boogie's Boys.

When you look back on it all...it's kinda fun. The whole ride. The trio learned lots of things. Lock learned how to cross his fingers and use trickery. Barrel learned the joy of candy and trick-or-treating. Shock learned how to use her witch powers to have the upperhand. But Sally was smart. Since they were new commers, Sally designed their costumes to only allow their powers only to work when they were at peace. When they were care-free. When they released from their master. And although they learned a lot of things in these hours. In these days. In a week and five days, to be exact. In the Twelve Days of Hallows Eve.

**AN: Hello, People. I think of this website as a whole world. Each catorgory is a place. Each show or movie or book or anything is a state. And each name of a tv show or cartoon or movie is a neighborhood. And I'm afraid that this might be my last fanfiction in The Nightmare Before Christmas neighborhood. I have lots of ideas but Simon and Gaby(friends that help me write these fanfics) insist we should write in another catorgory. Maybe we'll come back. Not sure, though. Anyways, thanks for reading. REVIEW, PLEASE! I really gained confidence as a writer now thanks to all you who have reviewed on my stories. My only regret is not making more ShockxBarrel fanfictions. Bye, people! Forever. I will return another day:) And that's a promise I intend to keep.**


	11. Disclaimer

I DO NOT OWN NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS


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